My Little Lover
by Dreamy-Heichou
Summary: After running away from home because of a fight with his father, Eren finds himself trapped in a cave in the middle of a storm. When he wakes up the next morning, he realizes he has shrunk in size as Levi comes to find him. Despite their broken friendship, they'll try to find a way to give Eren his normal size back. (Reincarnation and Soulmates AU)
1. Chapter 1

_This fanfic was written for the Ereri Mini Bang on Tumblr.  
It's already complete with 10 chapters but I'll be posting 1 or 2 chapters per day until Sunday._

_The cover picture you can see was made specifically for this story and it's gorgeous 3_  
_You can see it better on tumblr:_ lampurpleart*tumblr*com/post/185984653347/yesterday-after-he-had-finished-calling-his  
_(Replace * by . )_

_For the people who read my other fanfic **Sunshine and Pumpkin**, I haven't uploaded in the recent months because I was writing this, but I'll get back to it now!_

* * *

With heavy steps and long strides, the wind blowing his already messy chocolate hair, Eren put as much distance as possible between him and his house. Or more accurately, between him and his parents.

He couldn't understand why they didn't trust him or why they couldn't believe in his abilities. His mother used to encourage him along the path of his dream, showing interest in his hobby and praising him for his skills, but today, she had only looked at him apologetically as his father had crushed all his dreams with words harsher than the other. She had just stood beside him, completely mute, and hadn't even tried to defend him. For Eren, it had been the same as acknowledging his father's words.

It was the reason why he hadn't told them anything in the first place. When he had decided to participate in a drawing competition, he had feared his father wouldn't support him and convince him to quit before even trying. He had always wanted Eren to go to university and follow in his steps as a doctor, or at least wished for him to become a successful businessman, unlike his brother – like he would always say – but it was the further away from his dreams and wishes.

Ever since he was a child, he had always liked to draw everything he would see or hear from other people. Of course, at that time, it had only been messy and deformed doodles, but he never gave up and always tried to improve as much as he could, sometimes drawing for hours while watching tutorial videos or going through art books. Drawing was a way for him to express himself, give shapes and colors to feelings he didn't know how to describe otherwise, and as he grew up, it became evident that it was what he wanted to do in the future.

More specifically, he wanted to become an illustrator.

The competition he had entered was exactly aligned with his dream, because it wasn't just a normal drawing competition, but one which targeted precisely aspirant illustrators like him. Eren could have waited to be of age to enter it and he wouldn't have had any problems then, but this year's prize was different and the reason why he had still taken the risk. If he won, he would be able to obtain a scholarship for the art school of his dream and he would also have the privilege to work on an illustration book alongside professionals with the prospect of publishing it in the end. The latter was the first prize, but the scholarship was for all of the three finalists.

And he was one of them.

He had made it, had been chosen amongst hundreds of participants and had now a chance out of three to win the contest. And even if he didn't, he would still be able to enter into his first-choice school and would then be one step closer to his dream.

The problem was that the award ceremony would be held in Trost, the biggest city around which was three hours away from the small fishing town he currently lived in, Shiganshina, and he couldn't go there without his parents' approval because he was still seventeen. Technically speaking, he needed his parents' signature to participate in the contest too, but as an artist, faking a signature wasn't a big deal, and thus he had entered without speaking to his parents about it.

Which brought him back to what had happened a few minutes ago.

He had tried to explain the situation to his parents, that he needed to go to Trost for a few days to attend the award ceremony to know the final results, that he had been chosen, that he had a very good chance of winning, but his father hadn't let him. The moment Eren had told them about entering a drawing contest without consulting them, he had started to blow up and yell at him, asking him when he would let go of his childish dream and grow up. Needless to say, when he had finally gotten to the part when he told them he needed to leave Shiganshina for a few days, his father had further yelled at him.

Eren was too young, too immature, and the whole situation was ridiculous. That were some of the things he had told him, along the fact that it was unacceptable he wanted to miss days of school to attend such a 'laughable' ceremony. Also that it wasn't necessary, because Eren wouldn't win the first place anyway. And his mother had said nothing the whole time Eren had been yelled at and his pride torn to pieces.

The mere memory of it made Eren's blood boil in his veins and his jaw clench painfully because of anger, and also frustration. No one believed in his skills except for himself – and maybe his older brother. His mother had betrayed him, his father had belittled him, and now the only person he could count on was himself. Because there was no way he wouldn't participate in the ceremony. He would use his savings to buy a train ticket if he had to, but he would never give up. It wasn't something Eren knew how to do anyway. He always took every hit coming his way head on, and if he fell, he always recovered and got up once again. His stubbornness and persistence were both some of his best qualities and worst faults.

Drops of water falling on his cheeks brought him back to reality and made him look up at the dark and menacing sky. He hadn't paid attention to the weather when he had rushed out of his house, fueled by his temper. If he had, he could have foreseen the storm that was coming his way and find shelter before it broke. Instead, he found himself already drenched the moment he realized what was going on, which left him with little time to think.

He had to find somewhere to take shelter from the heavy rain but it was pouring so hard that he could hardly see a few meters in front of him. Luckily, he quickly recognized where he was – near the beach, when had he gotten this far? – and knew exactly where to go. It wasn't a very well-known place, even for people who had been living in the village for years, but Eren had always been curious and had wandered around a lot as a kid.

Without hesitation, he ran like hell towards his destination, vainly trying to shield his head from the downpour with his hands and arms. The moment he stopped feeling the pression of water on his body, making his clothes stick on every portion of his skin, he let out a long sigh and tried to even his breathing after his running. Once he recovered, he finally allowed himself to look around him and couldn't refrain the small wistful smile that appeared on his lips.

The rock faces composing the cave he was using as a shelter were glistening with droplets of water because of the humidity, which partake in the incessant sound of running water. Sand coming from the beach reached until at least a third of the cave until it left place to eroded rocks which also seemed damp.

Eren could remember the first time he had set foot inside the cave like it was yesterday, eyes open wide because of wonder and excitement. As a kid, this place had always seemed like another world entirely, a place where he could play and dream freely. It was where he had come up with a lot of ideas for his drawings, his imagination always running wild, and it was also where he would go to find peace and comfort. His dreams for the future were closely linked to this place.

There was another reason why this place was so special to him, why he had come as often as he had, and also why he hadn't come in a few years now. Everything, starting from how he had found the cave in the first place to why he had always felt safe in it, came down to one and only person: his best friend, Levi. Or maybe he should say _ex_-best friend.

As far as he could remember, him and Levi had always been together. Their mothers were both friends from university and had chosen the quiet town of Shiganshina to start a family and raise their children. Eren and Levi had grown up almost like brothers, so naturally they had spent most of their time together. Every time Eren had something he wanted to tell, he would go see Levi. Every time he had somewhere he wanted to go, Levi would go with him, and vice versa. They used to be so inseparable that their parents used to joke about them being twins, and truth be told, Eren wouldn't have minded it.

Eren had been very hyperactive as a child and would always run around the town, searching for new places to discover or new playgrounds. Levi would follow him with a bit less enthusiasm, but delight still evident in his dark blue eyes. He was only there to keep an eye on Eren so he wouldn't do anything stupid, he used to say to their mothers to reassure them. Levi had always been the most reliable of the two, but once they were out of sight, Levi would go along with Eren's antics and even suggest some of the pranks they would do.

Levi knew of his dream of becoming an illustrator, had been the one suggesting it to him as he had always loved watching Eren draw and had been his first supporter. Eren would always go to him first when he had finished a sketch or had had a new idea, and Levi would give him some advice or encouragement. The cave became their secret base and the guardian of their words.

But as they started to grow and turned into teenagers, they became fairly different in both their hobbies and needs. Levi became quieter, and started scolding Eren for being so noisy and immature. He stopped going to Eren's place as often as before, spent most of his time studying and turning down Eren's invitations to go out to play. The changes in their relationship appeared gradually, until they entered high school and everything completely went sideways. Levi started taking advanced classes and studying was really all he would do, which Eren only found boring. He had never liked studying, homework had always been a chore, but Levi seemed to enjoy it, and Eren couldn't understand it. Same as Levi seemed to not understand how he could be so careless and indifferent to his studies.

After a big fight, Levi explicitly told Eren to stop bothering him, that he didn't have time to 'play' with him anymore and that Eren should hurry and 'grow the hell up'. The raven sounded strangely like his father and that didn't sit well with him, pushing him into one of his anger fits. And with that, their friendship entirely collapsed and they stopped talking to each other. It had happened three years ago.

Now that Eren was in their old secret base, he couldn't refrain the flood of memories that assaulted him like a wave of salt water, leaving behind a sour taste in his mouth. He had always cared deeply for Levi, and still did, but it didn't seem to be the case for the raven. He had tried to talk about it with him, try to renew their relationship, but Levi had only looked at him with a cold and indifferent gaze, walking away the moment Eren had stopped talking without even looking back. Eren had no idea how to fix everything if the other wasn't willing to try too, hence why he had given up – but still hoped that one day they would be friends once again.

Thinking back to his best friend brought back more recent memories which made Eren's skin crawled, anger once again rising inside his chest. During their fight, his father had had the nerve to bring Levi up in the conversation and use him as a model. Why Eren couldn't take example on _Levi_ and study more? Why Eren couldn't have a more realistic dream and wish to go to university like _Levi_? Why Eren couldn't be as mature and collected as _Levi_?

At that moment, Eren had wanted to yell at him that if he liked Levi so much and thought he was so perfect, why didn't he become his father instead. He had made it sound like Eren was a disappointment and wasn't the son he had hoped to have, and it both angered and saddened him. Nothing he did would ever be good enough for his father. What had happened between him and his older brother was a fine example: no matter how well-off he had become, their father was still dissatisfied with him and gave him nothing more than words of depreciation.

As Eren plopped down on the wet sand, his back against the smooth and damp rocks, he closed his eyes and let out a deep and long sigh. Now that his anger had faded, he only felt empty and lost. His body was shaking violently because of how cold he felt, his wet clothes not helping in the least, and thus he tried to hug himself to generate a bit of warmth and keep the very few he had to himself.

He wished he could go back to those times, when Levi and him were still talking and laughing together. He wished he could go back to being little again, back when everyone was praising his drawings and telling him his dreams would come true. Because that is what adults say to kids. They don't tell them they're going to fail or that their dreams are unachievable. They tell them to believe in themselves and that they can become anything they want in the future. But once children start to grow up, adults change their sentiments and ask them to be realistic, that there is no way it's going to happen, to stop being childish and face the truth. The truth that life is cruel and isn't always easy, that you don't always end up where you wanted to initially.

Eren wished he could just go back to being small, when everything was easy and simple. When it was just him, a piece of paper, a pencil and his imagination.

_I wish…_

**XxxxXxxxX**

Eren woke up with a jolt, a shiver going through his entire body and immediately bringing back memories of before he had dozed off. He had no idea when he had closed his eyes and how long he had actually been out. He wasn't sitting anymore, like he remembered, and was instead curled up into a ball and lying on the ground. He tried to feel around him with his hands, expecting to have sand stick to his skin, but he could only feel something soft. He could also feel it underneath him and on top of him, like he was wrapped inside a blanket.

Was he still in the cave or had he managed to get home at some point after the storm quieted down without remembering it? It was the only explanation he could come up with that would explain why he was surrounded by a blanket which, by the way, seemed way too big. He was completely under it, filtering the light and leaving him with few indications as to what time it was.

His first reaction was to try to get out of the blanket, to be able to look around him and assess the situation, but the blanket seemed to extend on _meters_ instead of centimeters. Eventually, after crawling on his hands and knees, he found the extremity and was able to put his head out of it to look around him. His eyes immediately widened and his mouth fell open in surprise.

He was still in the cave – at least he thought he was – but the ceiling was way too high compared to the last time he had looked at it. He was also certain he hadn't gone too deep into it, but the exit seemed too far. He had trouble seeing the waves of the ocean when he should normally be able to see them easily from there, except in misty weather, which wasn't the case. The sky was a clear blue, the sun shining, making it seemed like the storm had only been a dream.

Maybe it was early morning and he had somehow slept through the entire night? His parents were going to be pissed at him for being out for so long, or at least his father. His mother, on the contrary, might just be freaking out and be worried as hell. He had to get back as soon as possible.

"Eren…?"

The brunet thought he had heard someone calling his name, but the sound had been so faint and distant that he might have imagined it. He rapidly dismissed the thought and went back to what he had been pondering about earlier. Going home.

Eren stood up from his position and put a leg forward and out of the 'blanket'– he had stopped thinking about where it had come from until he felt it falling from his shoulders – and immediately felt sand under the sole of his foot. _Directly_ against the sole of his foot. Had he removed his shoes and socks during his sleep?

Then, for the first time since he woke up, he took a look at himself and instantly yelled from the surprise.

"What the hell!?"

He was completely and utterly _naked_. From head to toe. He didn't even have an underwear on. No wonder he was feeling so cold and was shaking so much. But how did that even happen? Eren didn't have the tendency to sleep naked or to remove his clothes in his sleep. At least not that he was aware of. So, what exactly had happened?

"Eren?"

This time there was no doubt someone was calling him. If he was right and had spent the night outside, maybe his parents were looking for him. This was bad. He had to find his clothes and put them on again before anybody found him or else it would be very embarrassing. The voice was still too distant so he hadn't recognized it, but no matter who it was, he sure had no desire to find himself naked in front of them. He had to move fast.

Once again, Eren looked around himself and tried to locate his clothes. They shouldn't be too far. His eyes were immediately drawn towards a pile of fabric that seemed as big as the blanket behind him, except this one seemed to be made of jean. He had never seen a blanket like this before. It was getting weirder by the minute. And where the hell were his clothes?

"Eren!"

The brunet suddenly recognized the voice calling his name and his body entirely froze. _Levi_. Levi was the one calling him. Why? Even if his parents had asked for help, why did Levi agreed to search for him? He had made it clear over and over again that him and Eren had nothing to do with each other anymore and to not speak to him unless he really _had_ to. Levi hated Eren. So _why_?

"Eren!?"

The shock had postponed Eren's search for his clothes and now the voice seemed to become closer and closer. There was no doubt in his mind that the cave was where Levi was heading for right now. He was the only one who knew about the place. He had to move and fast, before Levi came and saw him in his birthday suit.

"What the…"

_Too late_, Eren thought. In a last and desperate attempt to hide his nakedness, Eren took the fabric the closest to him and hid behind it. Once he was sure Levi wouldn't be able to see anything, he turned in the direction of the newcomer, an embarrassed smile on his lips, ready to find a good excuse to his situation, and _froze_. This time for a really good reason.

Levi stood at the end of the cave, out of breath, but to actually look at his face, Eren had to crane his neck _upwards_, which in itself was weird enough since everyone knew Levi was _shorter_ than Eren, but it didn't seem to be the case anymore. Because there Levi stood, in all his one meter and fifty-five glory, but to Eren it seemed like he was more around _fifteen _meters.

Levi looked like a giant. And Eren had turned _small_.

"What is happening to me?"


	2. Chapter 2

Explaining to someone why you were naked was something, explaining why you were reduced to the size of a doll was another. Explanation that Eren didn't have, because he had absolutely no idea what was actually going on.

"Shit."

Eren prepared himself to Levi's questioning, to Levi's mockery or even to Levi's expression of shock and surprise in front of his smallness. What he wasn't prepared for, however, was Levi's pure expression of concern and fear that crossed his features. The frown usually present on the raven's face was more pronounced and his eyes were directed right at him.

Without any time to react or say anything, Eren watched Levi made his way towards him slowly, his blue eyes now scanning every part of the cave, before squatting a few meters away from the brunet. He reached out a hand and Eren couldn't help but close his eyes in front of the size of it. It looked like it could crush him in an instant and the idea scared him.

"Eren, what happened to you…"

Eren opened one eye to assess the situation and realized Levi wasn't even looking at him, but at the 'blanket' next to him, the one he wasn't currently using to hide his body. He had taken it in his hands and was examining it, worry written all over his face, and Eren then realized what it must look like to him.

Levi was holding his pants and Eren was using what used to be his sweater as a makeshift blanket. Levi had entered a cave, after searching for Eren who had never returned home after a fight with his parents right before a big storm and only found clothes. But not Eren.

Levi hadn't noticed him yet.

He didn't know if he was relived of that fact or not, happy that Levi was showing concern over his fate, or if he felt bad about seeing him upset. Nonetheless, he had to make him look his way. He couldn't stay here, tiny and naked, alone in a cave near the ocean. There was no time for him to think about their altercation. He needed help.

"Levi! I'm here!"

The raven immediately lifted his head up, looking around him to find the source of the voice he had just heard.

"Eren? Where are you?"

"I'm down here!"

Eren tried to wave his hands at the raven while trying to keep his body hidden, or at least the lower part of it. He thought he wouldn't be able to grab Levi's attention when he started looking everywhere but at him, until his blue eyes locked on him and Levi finally _saw_ him.

"Fucking hell!"

The shock of seeing Eren – or more particularly Eren's size – made Levi fall backwards and directly on his buttocks. His eyes were widened in bewilderment and his mouth open in surprise. In the span of five minutes, Eren had seen more emotions on Levi's face than in the last three years and it actually made him feel pretty good about the situation.

_So there are things that can break his mask, huh_.

"This must probably look creepy from your point of view, but believe me, it's also for me. I have no idea how this happened, and I'm still hoping I'm actually dreaming and that I'm gonna wake up."

Levi looked at him in silence for a few minutes, blinking slowly, which made Eren fidget, his nervousness more apparent every second that passed. Eventually, the raven seemed to gather his thoughts and come to his senses, closing his mouth before clearing his throat distinctively.

"That's my line, stupid."

"Well, you're not the one who is the size of a leprechaun and has to deal with people looking like giants! And since you're short and all, I can't even imagine what others are gonna look like."

"Tch. You're an ass."

"And you're still as rude as the last time we talked. Now, are you gonna help me?"

They watched each other in the eye, barely blinking, for what felt like minutes to Eren when it probably was just seconds before Levi heaved a long sigh. He then straightened himself and sat in a more comfortable way, narrowing his eyes, making it look like he was still dwelling on Eren's question. Eventually, he extended one hand towards Eren, palm facing upwards.

"Fine. Let's get out of here and talk about this some more in a better place."

Relief flashed through Eren's body but then he tensed, looking at Levi's outstretched hand. The raven raised an eyebrow when he saw him fidgeting and not moving.

"Are you going to move your tiny ass anytime soon?"

"I can't…"

Levi's eyebrows furrowed at his reply, eyeing him suspiciously. That only made Eren fidget even more, holding the sweater in front of his body a little higher than before, avoiding eye contact with the raven in front of him.

"Eren… Are you…?"

"I'm hiding behind a sweater that's too huge for me to wear anymore, what do you think?"

Eren was certain his cheeks were a bright red by now, despite his attempt to not let Levi see how much embarrassed he was of the whole situation. He was expecting Levi to tease him about it, taking advantage of his misery to rub salt into his wounds, but none of it happened. Instead, Levi took something out of his pocket and put it in front of Eren for him to take. When the brunet looked up to see what he had given him, he immediately recognized the object as a paper tissue.

"Hurry up now, I don't have all day."

Seeing as Levi turned his head to give Eren some privacy, the brunet hurried up and covered himself the best he could with the tissue and hoped in Levi's hand, shivering at the contact of his cold skin. The raven made no further comment when he moved his hand close to his jacket, opening it for Eren to see a pocket on the inside. After a bit of struggling, he managed to hop into it and immediately relaxed at the warmth who spread through his entire body.

As Levi started to move, he had to hold on to the edge of the pocket in order not to be shaken too much by the movement. From where he was, he couldn't see what was happening, but he could sense Levi was bending and straightening a few times, before finally standing up normally.

"I'll come back later with a bag to get your clothes, but for now we can't let people find them. They would freak out."

Eren assumed all those movements had been for hiding his clothes somewhere inside the cave and nodded. If anyone would see his clothes but not him, they could think he had been kidnapped or something, and then they would call the police – assuming his parents hadn't already. It was a small village, so there was a high probability the local officer was already on the case, but what he was afraid of was the 'real' police, from outside the town, which would make the whole situation a complete mess.

"Okay, let's go home now."

"Home?"

"My house, dumbass."

**XxxxXxxxX**

They ran into a lot of people on their way to Levi's house. They all asked the raven if he had found anything concerning Eren, or if he had any clue as to where he might be. Levi told them each time that he had looked where he could think of and didn't find anything, and then continued on his way. Eren had recognized some of the voices and couldn't help but cringe every time someone asked about him. His parents must be really freaking out and must have sent the whole village after him. He felt guilty about putting his mother, who already got worried over nothing, through this kind of anguish – even though he couldn't really help his situation.

Once inside the Ackerman's house, Levi went straight to his room where he finally freed Eren from the narrowness of his inner pocket. He had put him down on his desk, and Eren couldn't help but switch his weight from one foot to the other, holding the tissue as close as he could from his tiny body.

"My mom must have gone to your place to be with your mother, so it's just us now."

Eren didn't have time to say anything before Levi disappeared behind the door and left him alone. He had no idea where the raven had gone off to, so all he did was looking around himself. He hadn't been in Levi's room over a few years now, but it hadn't changed a lot, except from all the complicated textbooks. They seemed a bit different than the one he used for school, but that had to be expected, with Levi in the scientific course and himself in the literary one.

After a few minutes, Levi came back inside the room with a bowl in his hand. Steam seemed to get out of whatever it was containing, and once Levi put it down on the desk not far from Eren, he could identify it as water.

"What's this?"

"Your bath." Levi answered simply as if it explained everything. At Eren bland look, he added: "You're freezing your ass off, right?"

"I'm not taking a bath in front of you!"

"As if I've never seen you naked before."

"We were like eight the last time we took a bath together!"

"It's not like I care if I see your tiny dick."

"It's not tiny! Maybe from your point of view, but it's still proportional to my body, so it isn't!"

"Whatever."

Levi heaved a sigh, seeming bored with their banter. Still, he took a few books – the highest he could find – and started making a barrier with them around the bowl of warm water, building Eren his own personal bathroom.

"Better? Use the tissue to dry off afterwards."

"Uh, okay. Thanks…" Eren looked at his bath beside him and then something struck him. "What about clothes?"

"That will have to wait, I need to go pick up your real clothes as soon as possible. I'll take care of your tiny ones once I'm back."

Like a few minutes before, Levi didn't leave any time for Eren to reply back and left the room, shutting the door a bit harshly. Eren couldn't see anything anymore, hidden by the books, but Levi's exit had made a lot of noise and it had also made the desk vibrate a little, making Eren wobble on his feet – thankfully the books didn't budge.

The brunet took comfort in the fact he was actually alone to put the tissue aside, not too far from the bowl so that he could use it later. Levi was right, he was freezing and the prospect of a good and warm bath was really appealing. Not knowing how much time he had alone before Levi came back, he approached his homemade bathtub and touched the water to verify its temperature. It was not too warm neither not enough. Eren thanked silently Levi before attempting to climb inside the bowl.

His muscle instantly relaxed at the contact of the warm liquid and Eren thought himself in heaven. The bowl was the right size for him to have the water just above his shoulders once he sat, and he allowed himself the time to bask in this quiet and peaceful moment, far away from the harsh reality. He would have time to think about his situation later. Now was the time to warm his body and take a break.

The moment Eren got out of the bowl and wrapped himself in the tissue was also the exact moment Levi returned inside the room.

"Are you done?"

"Y-Yeah."

Levi removed slowly one of the books surrounding Eren, and then proceed to remove the others when he saw him with the tissue around his body. The brunet noticed a backpack hanging from one of his shoulders before Levi threw something at him. It was a piece of red fabric, as long as his body and wide enough to envelop him entirely.

"I cut a piece of a towel. Might be more convenient to dry your hair and body."

Eren thanked him before taking the towel in his hands, taking advantage of Levi not looking his way to drop the wet tissue and envelop the towel around him. It was softer and definitely nicer to have wrapped around his body than the paper tissue, which was falling apart because of the water.

Levi seemed to be looking for something inside the backpack he had now put down on his bed, and Eren watched him while rubbing absent-mindedly his body with the towel. Once he had found what he wanted, he put the bag away inside his closet before turning around to look at Eren, who was now sitting, his legs dangling over the edge of the desk.

"Now that you're not on the verge of hypothermia and I hid your clothes, we need to talk about…" He pointed Eren in an uncertain way, trying to get his point across. "_This_."

Eren didn't say anything. He knew Levi would ask him questions, but he had no answer to provide him. He was as in the dark about the whole situation as the raven was.

"What happened yesterday?"

"What do you mean?"

"My mom came to me this morning, frantic, saying you hadn't come back home and were missing. She asked me to help look for you, but she didn't say anything more."

"Oh… Well, long story short…"

"If you want me to help you, tell me _everything_."

Eren cleared his throat and began telling the events of the night before and what had led him to hide in the cave. The contest, telling his parents, the fight with his father, how he had run away to let his anger cool down, the storm breaking, and then how everything became a blur afterwards.

"When I woke up, I was already like this. I don't know how nor why it happened."

Levi seemed deep in thought, silent, like he had been during Eren's whole story-telling. His arms were crossed in front of his chest and his eyebrows were furrowed in concentration, but also probably in frustration.

"What were you thinking about before falling asleep?"

"Uh… Is that really important?"

"Every little detail might help us."

"Um, okay… Well, I was thinking about… You know… When we used to go to the cave to play when we were… kids…"

"Hmm…"

It was a bit unnerving, being questioned by Levi who had a very serious expression on his face. It felt more like an interrogation and Eren unconsciously brought the towel closer to his body, feeling bare and vulnerable.

"Well, I don't think we're going to find a solution right away." Levi heaved a big sigh and took a phone in his hands. Eren's phone. "We should think about something to keep your parents away from you while we try to figure this out. And call them, _fast_. I saw your mother crying on my way back."

Eren felt a pang in his heart at Levi's last statement. He didn't like making his mother cry, she didn't deserve that. But what could he possibly say for them not to try to look for him? The moment he would tell his mother where he supposedly was, she would come running to get him back, which would immediately reveal his lie. He needed a really good excuse, something his parents wouldn't doubt nor try to take him back home. He needed…

"I know!"

"Huh?"

"I have an idea, but first I need to make another phone call!"

Levi eyed him suspiciously, but eventually gave up and brought his phone to the desk. He put it down near Eren, asking him if he would manage on his own, which Eren assured him he would be okay. Eren pushed down the middle button of his phone to turn the screen on, struggling a bit to unlock it with his tiny hands, before going to his list of contact, ignoring all the notifications of missed phone calls and unread text messages.

"Who are you calling?"

"Zeke."

Eren couldn't see Levi's face since he was facing away from him, but could easily imagine the disgust and annoyance plastered all over his face at the mention of his name. Levi had never appreciated his older brother, and it had gotten considerably worse in the last few years. Thankfully, Zeke had left Shiganshina almost a decade ago and only came home occasionally.

"Tch. Do what you want."

Without another word he exited the room, leaving Eren alone once again. The brunet let out a long sigh before holding his breath as he pushed the call button, anxious and apprehensive. He put the call on speaker and put himself right above the microphone, waiting for his brother to pick up. Which he didn't have to wait for too long, Zeke replying right after the first ring.

"Eren! It's been a while, how are you?"

Judging by his cheery tone, Zeke wasn't aware of what was going on in Shiganshina. His parents hadn't contacted him. _Good._

"Hey Zeke! I'm fine, and you?"

"You sure? Your voice is a bit weird… Are you okay?"

"I'm okay, don't worry. I just… don't want to speak too loud, is all."

"Why? Is something the matter? Are you in trouble?"

Despite their age difference, Zeke had always been very carrying of Eren, always ready to help him no matter what. It was this side of his personality Eren was betting on and what his whole plan was based on too. If he succeeded in making his older brother agree to cover him with his parents, it would buy him some time to figure things out.

"I'm not… totally. I need your help for something."

"Tell me. You know I'll help you."

"Yeah, I know…" Eren smiled, both relieved and a bit guilty to manipulate his brother like that, but it wasn't like he had any choice. "I got into a fight with dad."

"… Go on."

With the mention of their father, Eren knew he had his full attention, if he hadn't already. Zeke and their father really didn't get along, and his brother had always made sure of taking Eren's defense every time they would have an argument. He couldn't possibly continue doing it now that he had left Shiganshina, but he was always available to hear Eren ramble about him when he needed it.

"You know I entered this drawing contest… right? Well, I'm one of the three finalists, and–"

"That's my little bro! I knew you would make it!"

"Yeah, thanks." Eren let out a small laugh, happy that someone was at least praising him. "Anyway, I told him about it because I want to attend the award ceremony in Trost. But he got mad at me, and refused. So I…"

"Eren, what did you do."

"I… ran away. I'm in Trost now, but I didn't tell them…"

Eren heard a long exhale on the other side of the phone, and could easily picture his brother reprimanding face.

"And you want me to tell them you're at my place and to not worry, is that right?"

Eren shouldn't have been surprised Zeke had figured out everything on his own. Sometimes he just completely forgot that his brother had a very high IQ and was a genius.

"Uh… Yeah."

"Where are you now?"

"I told you, I'm in Trost–"

"I meant _where_ in Trost."

"In- In a hotel, near the awarding place. The people from the contest organized everything, they're paying too."

There was a long silence and Eren began to worry his brother had seen through his lie. If he couldn't get Zeke to cooperate, telling his parents he was in Trost with Zeke would never work. He knew the moment he would hang up with his mother after telling her that she would call him to verify his story and make sure he was really okay.

"You sure you're alright?"

"Y-Yeah, I'm okay. I'm… I'm not alone. Don't worry."

"Someone you can trust?"

"Yes." He hoped his voice sounded confident enough for him to drop the subject, it had to his own ears anyway.

"Okay." Zeke finally said after another moment of silence. "But call me if you need anything. And text me from time to time, to let me know that you're alright."

Eren could sense relief run through his entire body, his muscle immediately relaxing after being nervously tense this whole time.

"Yeah, sure. Thanks, Zeke!"

A few minutes after hanging up with his brother, Levi entered the room once again, his arms full of stuff Eren couldn't recognize from where he was standing. He closed the door with his foot and put down everything he was carrying on his bed before turning to Eren.

"You finished?"

"I just talked to Zeke, he's going to help me. Tell my parents I'm at his place. I was about to call them now."

"Hmm…"

Levi didn't say anything more and sat on the bed, going through the objects beside him and retrieving pieces of fabrics and… A needle? Was Levi going to make him clothes from scratch? Eren didn't even know he knew how to sew, though he shouldn't be surprised considering his mother's work. She was the best seamstress across the whole town. Everybody went to her if they needed clothes to be stitched up or shorten, or even custom-made. She must had taught his son a few tricks.

He didn't get more time to think about it before Levi came right in front of him, a tape measure in his hands. Eren didn't have to ask him what it was for, he could guess on his own.

"I need to take your measurements if you want me to make you fitting clothes."

The whole situation was pretty awkward, with Levi putting his fingers so close to his naked body and looking attentively at him – he was probably more looking at the measures than him, Eren knew that, but it was still pretty unnerving. Every time Levi was measuring a place, Eren would try to hide the rest of his body with the towel, telling himself over and over that all of it was so that he wouldn't have to hide his nakedness in that way anymore, but it still remained pretty embarrassing.

Levi didn't seem fazed though, completely serious in his task, as if he was measuring an object instead of Eren's body parts. Every time he measured a new place, he would write it down on a piece of paper, mumbling to himself, entirely focused. He didn't even spare Eren a single glance once he was through and returned to his bed to get started on his work.

Eren watched him for a few minutes, a bit intrigued by Levi's all endeavor, before finally coming back to his senses and current task. Calling his parents. _Right_.

As he had expected, his mother picked up almost instantly, crying over the phone and asking him his whereabouts and his condition. He didn't like the situation he was currently in, every fiber of his body wanted to run down the street and hug her tight, comfort her. She didn't deserve this, but he had no other choice.

Eren needed to find a way to gain his normal size back as soon as possible. But how?


	3. Chapter 3

Eren's eyes fluttered, light becoming too bright behind his eyelids. Did he forget to close his curtains when he went to bed last night? It wasn't like him at all. He always closed them in order not to be woken up too soon, especially on the weekend.

He sat in his bed, which seemed a bit too soft to be _his_ bed, and it was when everything came back to him. Being reduced to fifteen centimeters, being find by Levi in the cave, hiding in his room with the hope of finding a solution before everything got out of hand.

_It wasn't a dream after all._

Eren looked around himself to further confirm that, yes, it hadn't been a dream, and yes, he was still in Levi's room. The carboard box arranged with cotton and pieces of fabrics to form a bed he was lying in, the plain white T-shirt and black underwear he was wearing and the other clothes neatly folded on the bedside table where his 'room' had been installed. And the easier evidence of all, the silhouette of Levi – still looking like a giant – sitting at his desk, probably studying.

Yesterday, after he had finished calling his parents, Levi had given him the clothes he had been sewing in the meantime. They were surprisingly – or unsurprisingly, considering it was Levi who had made them, and he was excellent at everything he did – well-made and fitted him perfectly to a T. The raven had continued and made him several shirts and pants, as well as underwear, so he would be able to wear more than just one set of clothes. Eren had looked at him with awe, watching his fingers moving with practiced ease and expertise, before finally asking him if he had done this before.

"Sewing clothes in general or doll-sized clothes?" Levi had asked, probably to tease Eren a bit.

He had then declared it was actually his first time but thought it shouldn't be that hard, and had been right. As if anyone could make clothes from scratch without learning how to before. Maybe it was the hours he had spent watching his mother do the same which were responsible for his skills, or maybe just because he was a handcraft genius. Eren had no doubt Levi could achieve anything if he really put his head into it, and it had always frustrated him who needed to put a lot of effort to succeed even in small things sometimes.

"Finally awake?" Eren turned his head in Levi's direction, who had spun his chair to face him, a pen still in his right hand. "I've kept you some of my breakfast."

At the mention of food, he got up and came closer to Eren, outstretching his hand at the bedside table level. The brunet got out of his bed, put on some pants and hoped into the offered hand, holding on to the raven's fingers in order not to fall when he started moving back towards his desk. He put him down carefully on the wooden furniture and pointed out the paper tissue which contained his breakfast, before going back to his studying.

Eren slowly walked to the corner where his food awaited him and opened the tissue to reveal pieces of bread, what looked like eggs and some fruit – maybe apple? Levi had done the same thing the day before, coming back to his room with food wrapped into a tissue, cut in pieces small enough for Eren to eat in one or two mouthfuls, making things easier for him. As for water, he had put some in a bottle cap – there it was in the corner, he noticed – which had been the best solution they had found, even if Levi had to pour him water a few times to quench his thirst enough.

The rest of the morning was quite uneventful. Levi had announced he needed to study this morning since he hadn't been able to the day before – Eren was sure the look he had given him was supposed to make him feel guilty – so the brunet had been left at his own occupations, which weren't numerous.

First, he went to the bathroom corner Levi had made for him, hidden from prying eyes with books, and went through his morning routine as much as he could. Levi had put a cup with fresh water he had claimed he would change regularly so that Eren could freshen up and brush his teeth. It wasn't like Levi owned a tiny toothbrush, so he had to use his fingers until they found an alternative, the toothpaste being in a container small enough for him to handle, as well as other products. Then, he changed with the clothes Levi had thoughtfully prepared for him before he woke up.

After that, Eren tried thinking about solutions for his problem which lead him nowhere since he had zero clue, and finally gave up in favor of his phone. He could still use it, even if it was hard for him to do so without some difficulties. Levi had secured it in a horizontal way, so it was a bit like using a tablet the size of a television. A lot of things he used to do without any problem seemed really complicated now with his size, but for most of them he managed somehow.

A bit before noon, something unexpected happened. It started with the sound of the doorbell, followed by Kuchel, Levi's mother, calling him.

"Levi! You have a guest!"

Eren and Levi looked at each other, Eren in a questionable sort of way, as if to ask "_do you know who?" _and Levi with a frown, answering with a silent "_I have no idea_" of his own. They heard footsteps indicating someone was heading up the stairs, and Eren hurried behind books to hide while Levi got up and went to his door. A gentle knock reverberated inside the bedroom before Levi cautiously opened the door to find a tall blond man with a beard and glasses behind it.

_Zeke_. Eren's brother.

"Hiya, Levi! It's been a while!" He put both of his hands on his shoulders, as if to highlight what he said next: "You've grown up!"

Eren knew his brother too much and understood he had meant it as a joke, teasing Levi on purpose on a subject he was aware was a sensitive issue for the short teenager. That was how their relationship had always been, and supposedly the reason why Levi couldn't stand his brother. Somehow, Zeke always ended up saying things that would set him off with a goofy smile on his face, like he was proud of himself.

"Shut up, fucking monkey. What do you want?"

Eren was wondering the same thing too, actually. What was Zeke doing here, in Shiganshina, and at Levi's house nonetheless? What if his parents saw him and his lie was discovered? It would probably happen anyway even if they didn't, because Kuchel had seen him, and she was a very close friend to his mother, Carla. She should have heard from her that Eren was staying at his brother's place and would most likely report his visit to her later.

"I just want to talk, is all. Can I come in?" In front of Levi's hostile and uncooperative behavior, he added: "It's about Eren."

From the small crack between the books the brunet was looking from, he could see Levi's entire body freeze for a second, too short probably for Zeke to notice, but Eren had. Zeke had drove all the way from Trost to Shiganshina to talk to Levi about Eren when he could have called him – Eren wasn't sure Levi would have answered, but still. There was definitely something going on, and Levi knew it.

"… Fine."

The raven got out of the doorway to let him pass and closed the door behind him right after he entered. Zeke looked around the room a little, seeming to search for something, before finally facing Levi again.

"So, where is he?"

"I thought he was with you, so why are you asking me?" Levi crossed his arms in front of his chest, looking bored, but Eren knew it was one of his defense mechanisms when he was either nervous, embarrassed, or mad. Eren was betting on the first one.

"Tututu!" Zeke held out his index and moved it from left to right, exaggerating the way his lips moved forward to produce the sound. He looked really sure of himself, and Eren couldn't help but be worried. "That's not good to lie, Levi."

"As if you don't." Levi answered, trying to move the focus away from himself.

"Haha, true." Zeke placed a hand in his hair, flattening the short locks of his bangs on his skull before removing it. "But we _both_ know Eren isn't at my place." Eren's blood froze inside his veins. "So, where is he?"

"I don't know what you're talking about." To anyone's eyes, Levi would seem completely unimpressed, but Eren had known him for too long to know it wasn't true. He was getting worried too.

"Oh, I'm sure you do." Zeke faced away from Levi and started looking around the room once again. "You see, I've tracked his phone, and it points to your house. So if you don't know where he is, tell me why you have his phone."

Eren cursed inside his head, feeling stupid for not having thought about it. _Of course_ Zeke had done that. He was a genius in informatics – or more like he was a genius and his work was related to informatics – so he had the means to trace back his phone when he had called him. He should have known. Zeke had always looked after Eren after all, he wouldn't stop doing it now.

Levi, though, didn't know any of that since he had never been really interested in Zeke's life. It should have come as a shock to him that the man had went to such length to make sure his little brother was okay. His furrowed brow was a hint to the mixed feelings he was having right now.

"I don't."

While Zeke had started looking around, probably for his phone, Levi had moved to stand between Zeke and the door, probably trying to direct his gaze away from the desk where Eren's phone was, in fact, actually there.

"Should I call his phone and verify that, then?" To further his threat, Zeke took his phone out, his thumb hovering the screen, right above the call button. Levi didn't seem deterred though.

"Go ahead."

Zeke was smiling, had been during the whole exchange, but Eren could tell it was far from a polite smile. On the contrary, Zeke looked murderous, especially his eyes hidden behind his thick lenses. Eren had the feeling he would jump on Levi any minute, ready to shake the teenager until he would obtain the information he had come for, but he knew Zeke was more of a person to manipulate people with words rather than actions. It didn't calm his nerves anyway.

The brunet's whole body tensed as he saw Zeke pushed the button on his phone, waiting for something to happen. Levi was still eyeing his brother, not even glancing in the direction of the desk, though through how his eyes kept twitching, Eren could tell he was restraining himself not to.

His phone was on silent mode, so no music or vibrations would betray the presence of the device inside the teenager's room. However, the screen lighted up as the notification of a phone call appeared on it, and with his horizontal position, Zeke immediately spotted the light from the corner of his eyes.

Eren took back what he had said earlier. Zeke _would_ jump on Levi. In fact, he was pretty sure he would have if he hadn't intervened to switch the attention of his brother to his tiny self instead of the thought of literally shaking the truth out of the raven.

"I'm here! I'm here!" Eren went out of his hiding spot behind the books on the desk and moved toward the edge while waving his hands, similarly to the time he had tried to get Levi's attention.

It was too late to regret his actions now. Zeke had seen him, his eyes widening in front of his current condition.

"E-Eren? What… Why are you…?"

The blond man walked towards the desk, one hand held in Eren's direction, as if he wanted to touch him to assess the reality of the situation, and the other playing with his glasses, probably trying to make sure he was seeing things right. He also glanced at Levi, trying to confirm he wasn't the only one seeing this, looking for some kind of surprise on the teenager's face, but found only annoyance written on it.

"I, uh… don't really know… Levi and I are trying to find a solution to this… _problem_."

Eren took Zeke's forefinger with his two hands, trying to prevent his brother from poking him and also trying to appease his brother's unease through skin contact. It took Zeke a few minutes of silence and staring before he composed himself again, kneeling in front of the desk so that his face was at Eren's level, his gaze both fond and worried.

"So that's why you asked me to cover for you…"

"Um, yeah… Can't really tell mom I've shrank, right? She would pass out."

Eren laughed nervously, his nose wrinkling a bit. He was trying to decrease the tension present in the room, but he was as tense as the other two men standing in front of him. Zeke laughed a little with him, replying he was probably right. At that moment, Levi left the room silently, probably trying to give them some privacy, or taking this opportunity to get as far away as possible from Zeke, Eren didn't really know.

They talked for a good thirty minutes, both catching up and trying to find solutions to help the two teenagers in their quest. Zeke couldn't possibly stay in Shiganshina to help them. First, it would look suspicious and worry their mother. Second, he couldn't really take days off from his work. In the end, they agreed on communicating often by phone.

Zeke also decided to go visit their parents. He would proclaim going back to town to get Eren's stuff for Trost, which would solidify his alibi, and take the opportunity to check on Carla. Seeing Zeke in person would most definitely comfort her in the idea that Eren was doing fine, and it would also calm Eren's guilt for making her worry. He was really lucky to have a brother ready to help him in such a way, as well as a friend to help him out through his predicament.

"Have you thought of talking about this with Hanji?" Zeke said once he came back to Levi's house with Eren's stuff, in order for Levi to keep them – no need to take them back to Trost – and also to fare Eren goodbye before departing.

Why haven't Eren thought about this on his own? It was the most brilliant idea he had ever heard since he woke up small and freezing on Saturday morning. No surprise it came from Zeke.

Hanji was a very good friend of both his mother, Carla, and Levi's, Kuchel. The three of them met at university, and had been inseparable since then. They all moved out to Shiganshina at the same time, and had remained close this entire time. Hanji used to come to both their houses to look after Eren and Levi when they were small. Even now, they often visited to talk and take news from the two families.

Hanji was part of their family even if not bounded by blood. For this reason, Eren had always referred to them as Aunt Hanji. It could have been Uncle, since they were non-binary – it had taken Eren a while to really understand what it meant, it wasn't really an easy concept for a child, but he had come to accept that fact like any other – but Hanji had told him it made them feel like an old man, so 'Aunt' was fine. He could have called them cousin, it wouldn't have been off the mark and was more neutral, but ever since he was able to talk, he had called them like that and habits die hard – and since they were okay with it, it wasn't really a problem.

The fact it was a brilliant idea lied in Hanji's hobbies and stories they had told Eren and Levi ever since they were kids. Legends about giant naked men pushing an entire civilization to hide behind three gigantic walls, and soldiers fighting back to regain their freedom. It had always fascinated Eren and had been a huge inspiration for his drawings. The fact Hanji seemed to actually believe in what they were saying had always made their story-telling more vivid and entertaining.

Hanji was very eccentric and seemed to believe in a lot of stuff that everyone would say didn't exist, and that was one of the reasons Eren really loved them. Everything with them was a lot of fun, and talking with them always made his imagination run wild.

Long after Zeke had left, Eren remained with a huge smile plastered on his face. Finally, after everything had seemed too dark for him to see and no hope was in sight, they had a lead.

Hanji could help him. If there were anyone who could, it was them.


	4. Chapter 4

Despite Eren's protests about the situation, they ended up not going to Hanji's that Sunday, but the following day. Levi assured him they were out of town for the weekend, he had overheard his mother talking with Carla on the phone about it, so it would be a waste of time to go to their house. Besides, he still needed to study for his exam on Monday, so it would have to wait.

Eren had wanted to yell at him that he didn't want to wait, that all he wanted was to go back to normal as soon as possible, that he couldn't understand how it felt like to be in his shoes right know and how desperate he was. But he didn't say any of it, because Levi was right anyway. It was useless to go see Hanji if they weren't home. He didn't want to, but he would wait. That was all he could do anyway.

And that was all he did the following day too. With Levi gone to school, Eren had hardly anything to do, and no one to talk to. He sent a few messages to his brother, receiving every now and then a reply, probably when he was taking a break from his work. He tried sending some to Levi as well, but never got an answer, even during lunch time.

Without anything better to do, Eren walked in circle around the desk, looking at every tiny detail he could land his eyes on around the room, ate the food Levi had put away for him for lunch, browsed the internet a bit, watched some videos too. The house was awfully quiet with him being the only person inside it and it brought some chills up his spine from time to time.

Eren had a lot of energy and sitting around with nothing to do wasn't something he liked. He needed to do something constructive, to use his energy for something other than walk aimlessly, and above all, he wanted to _draw_. Levi had given him a pencil lead, but it just wasn't the same and turned his hands dirty.

He lifted his eyes to the ceiling, silently thanking anyone who would listen when he heard the front door open and familiar footsteps coming his way. The brunet gave his friend a huge smile when he entered the room, which he didn't return, instead putting his bag and stuff down on his desk chair. After a small trip to the bathroom, Levi stretched his hand towards Eren, who happily climbed into his palm. He had waited for this moment all day. _Finally_, they were going to see Hanji, and hopefully get some answers.

They didn't get any answers that day.

Hanji had been thrilled to see them, it had been a while they had said, and had also squealed in front of Eren's new size. They had seemed very interested, had looked him under every angle, but they had no theory. _Y__et_. They needed some time to go over their books and think about the situation, so they asked Levi to leave Eren at their house in the morning, before going to school. The brunet had looked at the other teenager with puppy eyes, thrilled at the idea of having some company during the day. He had practically died of boredom alone in Levi's house, and could use the distraction. Besides, he really wanted to talk about his situation with Hanji.

Levi had eyed them both before finally agreeing, saying he didn't have any reason not to say yes anyway. It made Eren pump his fist in the air in a sign of victory. He felt like every day was bringing him closer to finding a solution, and it made hope rise inside his chest. He couldn't deny he had thought Hanji would have a solution ready for him and that they would give it to him the moment they stepped through their threshold. Maybe he had thought about the possibility of them making some kind of potion to drink, or a strange cake with a card saying 'Eat me'. But he wasn't Alice, and this wasn't Wonderland, so nothing could be this easy. He knew it, but still…

He wouldn't give up hope anyway.

Levi and him were on their way to Hanji's place, Eren safely tucked inside the raven's jacket. He had woken up so excited that morning that he hadn't been able to eat anything, his stomach twisted with both anxiety and anticipation. He could hear it rumble but tried not to pay it any attention. His whole focus was on their destination, which they eventually reached after ten minutes of walking.

"Levi! My sweet pea, come on in!" Eren could hear Hanji's voice from where he was hiding, his lips turning into a smirk at the nickname they had chosen for the short teenager. He could clearly imagine the look of annoyance and boredom plastered on his face at what they had said, and it made him snicker. "And where is my tiny little baby boo?" His laughter died instantly and a frown replaced his mocking expression. It was Levi's turn to laugh at him now.

Levi left immediately after getting Eren out of his jacket and passing him to Hanji's open palms, saying he didn't have time for chitchat and had classes to attend. They handled him with care, taking him inside a room that looked like their study, and put him down on a desk packed with open books and loose papers.

"How are you doing today, buttercup?" Hanji asked him with a huge smile splattered on their face, their chin propped up on the desk to look at him closely, their brown eyes taking every inches of his body into consideration behind their thick lenses.

"Good! I'm excited to be here! I've missed our conversations, Aunt Hanji." They gleamed at his response and squeaked in delight. He could see they wanted to hug him like they would usually do, but opted for a small pat on the top of his head with one of their fingers.

"I've missed you too, sweet cakes! And I have so many things to tell you today! I spent my evening and night going through all my books, and we have a lot to discuss!"

Eren's whole face lighten up at what they told him, excited to get started. He had no doubt Hanji would be able to help him, and he couldn't wait to hear every single one of their theories, even if it took him the entire day. His stomach, on the other hand, wasn't as happy as he was, and growled angrily due to the lack of food inside of it. Hanji broke off laughing in front of his embarrassed face, and ran off somewhere inside their house after telling him not to move – as if he could go anywhere on his own.

They came back a few minutes later with biscuits, that they started crumbling for Eren to eat, while they started talking about their research. Eren silently nibbled his food, listening attentively to them, although in the beginning it only consisted of theories they had had before even starting researching. It took at least fifty minutes for the conversation to become interesting – at least to Eren's standards, his stomach already full since a long time ago.

"You remember the story I used to tell you guys all the time when you were little?" Hanji asked him, picking Eren's interest. "Now that I think about it, we still talked about it recently."

"Yeah, I asked you questions about it a few weeks ago, because I wanted to draw something. It's the legend about the giants and soldiers, right?"

"Oh, it's not a legend, sugarplum. It's history! It really happened."

Eren blinked slowly, a bit surprised by their reply. They had never corrected him before when he had called it a 'legend'. It was his first time hearing it had happened some time in history and he was having a hard time processing it. A long time ago there had been naked giants – _Titans_ – eating people and depriving a whole population of their freedom? Soldiers who flew across trees, houses and the sky to slay those monsters had really existed?

"Really?" Eren asked, still a bit dumbfounded.

"Is it hard to believe?" They replied with a small smile, the wrinkles around their eyes deepening because of their amusement. "It happened two thousand years ago anyway, so it's not like there's any evidence left."

Two thousand years was indeed a very long time ago, which could explain why it could be considered a legend now instead of history. But the thing which was bothering Eren was that outside of the books Hanji had showed him, he had never been able to find anything about the Walls and the Titan_s_. Since they had told him it was a story passed down from generation to generation in their family, Eren had just come to the conclusion someone had made it up at some point.

"But with what happened to you…" Hanji continued, gaining Eren's attention once again. "I think it all makes sense…" They seemed thoughtful for a moment, grabbing their chin while looking up.

"What makes sense?" Hanji looked down at him, blinking slowly, as if to chase the haze they had lost themselves in for a moment, and smiled mysteriously.

"You know, there's a lot I haven't told you about the history of the Walls. Especially about the people who partake in the war against the Titans."

"You mean the soldiers?" Now that he thought about it, Hanji had always been very general about the people taking action during the _'Great War'_ and he had never really tried asking more about them. He hadn't thought it was anything important.

"Exactly, little pumpkin! Let me start again from the beginning."

Eren had thought he would have to listen to them for a long time without anything new coming out of it, but he was very wrong. Once they started, it seemed like a completely different story than the one he knew, even if he could point out certain similarities. He realized Hanji might have generalized everything a lot and glossed over details in order not to shock his younger self too much, because what they told him was all but filled with sorrow, treason, cruelty and death.

Hanji started by telling them about the day the Titans managed to get inside the Walls, after one of them destroyed the door with his gigantic foot – the _Colossal Titan_. That day was the start of everything that will lead to the _Great War_, and what fueled one kid to become a soldier and seek revenge. One that will be then called _Humanity's Last Hope_ and had the power to turn into a Titan. Then, they told him about the _Survey Corps_ – which he already knew about – but especially about one soldier who would later have a defining role in the war: _Humanity's Strongest Soldier_.

They seemed to focus a lot of their story around those two soldiers, Eren realized, which would probably be relevant for later on, he guessed. He listened to them with great attention, trying to take notes inside his head of what seemed really important, and stopped them a few times to ask questions, to make sure he had understood everything right. Especially because at some point, everything seemed to became even more complicated once a new country – _Marley_ – entered into the picture.

"Those two were almost always together. You would rarely see one without the other."

"Because the Captain needed to keep an eye on the Titan Shifter, right?" Eren tried to guess, completely absorbed by their conversation, even if it had been going on for hours now.

"That's what everybody thought at the time, but they were wrong!"

"Wrong? What was it, then?" Hanji laughed softly at his question, which made him frowned.

"Oh, silly-willy. Can't you guess?" In front of his confused face, they spoke again. "They were in love!"

"In… love?" From everything Hanji had told him before, he wouldn't have figured that one out on his own. But how was that even relevant to his situation?

"Yup! Of course, not a lot of people really knew. Actually, only one person knew for sure, some were only suspecting it. That one person was the Commander of the Survey Corps. And the reason they knew, was because they're the one who married them."

"They got married… in secret?"

"Exactly! They exchanged rings, but never wore them in public. At least not on their finger, but as a necklace, hidden under their clothes." Hanji tapped their chest to show him the place the ring used to be once on a chain, to illustrate their words. "That day, when they got married, they swore to always be there for each other, no matter what would happen. They took vows and made a promise to each other."

Eren had been sitting cross-ledged on the desk for a while now, finding the position comfortable to listen to his aunt. His elbows were on his knees, his head titled forward, hanging on every word leaving their lips.

"Two days later, the Titan Shifter left the island and went to Marley." Eren's eyes opened wide in front of the revelation, not really sure he had heard right.

"He… left? Without the Captain?" Hanji nodded. "After they got married?" Another nod. "But why?" They just shook their head at that.

"I don't really know for sure, but it seems he had a plan, to protect the island and the people living on it."

"But why didn't he ask for help? Why do it alone?" Hanji shook their head once more.

"I don't know everything, honey. But what I can tell you, is that the Captain held on to their promise and vows, and decided to trust him. The Titan Shifter eventually came back, and a lot of thing happened then. The _Great War_ wasn't really over, not just yet. But…"

"W-What?" Eren gulped loudly, expecting something horrible to happen next. He was right.

"Something got out of control, and the Captain got injured. Pretty badly. He… didn't make it."

"He… He d-died?" He didn't know why, but he could feel his eyes watering. What was wrong with him?

"Yes. But!" Hanji pointed their index in front of Eren, to mark their point. "The Titan Shiftergot to see and talk to him before he gave his last breath. The Commander was with them, too. Right before he died, they made another promise to each other. That they would always be together no matter what, that they would find each other again and be together once more."

"And then he died?"

"Yes."

"And what happened to the Titan Shifter after that?"

"Well, he managed to win the _Great War_, free his people, with a lot of sacrifices. And then, he died of the curse. Exactly thirteen years after he had become a Titan Shifter."

Eren was at a loss of word. He hadn't had expecting any of what they told him when they had started. He had even completely forgotten about why he was here in the first place. His mind was filled with fragment of what he had just learned, about _Humanity's Last Hope_ and _Humanity's Strongest_. He couldn't help the tear that fell out of his eye.

"Oh, my baby cupcake, don't cry! I will tell you something that will cheer you up once Levi comes back!"

They kept on talking together for a while after that, waiting for the end of Levi's classes. Since they had spent a long time talking already before that, it wasn't long before they could hear the sound of the bell, Levi joining them inside the study. The raven looked at the both of them, asking if they had found anything during the day to give Eren his size back. Eren then took upon himself to narrate to Levi the story Hanji had told him, glancing from time to time to them to be sure he was saying the right things, to prevent the short teenager to go through hours of story-telling like he had experienced.

When Eren arrived at the moment the Captain died in the Titan Shifter's arms, Levi was sitting on a chair in front of the desk, next to Hanji, his arms crossed in front of his chest. His face gave away nothing of what he was feeling, so Eren just waited for him to voice his thoughts.

"What does any of this have to do with Eren's situation?" Eren had thought about it too, but had forgotten about it at some point.

"Oh, it has _everything_ to do with Eren's situation, short cake!" They ignored the murderous glare he sent their way and clapped their hands together. "I was waiting to tell this to the both of you at the same time! You see… The Titan Shifter's name was Eren."

Eren didn't even say anything to that, just looked at Levi, utterly surprised. The raven seemed a bit shocked too, but didn't show it as much as he did.

"And you see, the Eren back then used to be able to transform into a fifteen meters giant. And our Eren–"

"–Turned into a size that makes him see everyone as fifteen meters giants." Levi finished for them.

"Exactly! That's my clever munchkin!" They cheered.

"So, what you mean is that what happened to me is like… the opposite of titan shifting powers? And it happened to me because I share the same name with someone who lived and died two thousand years ago?" Eren was even more lost now.

"Thank god it was the opposite, right? I can't even imagine what would have happened if you had turned into a Titan! That would have been interesting, but disastrous."

"How do we fix it then?" Levi asked calmly.

"Oh! What about the same way shifter Eren used to transform into a Titan? How did he do it again?" Eren asked, excited. Maybe that was the way to get back to his normal size.

"He bit into his hand to make himself bleed, but I wouldn't tr–"

Eren wasn't listening to them anymore and was already determined to bite his hand. If shifter Eren used to do it all the time, there was no way it was that difficult. He could do it too.

He therefore put his left hand in front of his mouth and quickly sunk his teeth into his skin. He stopped immediately the moment he felt an incredible amount of pain flashing through his entire arm at his actions, and removed his mouth from his skin, looking at the mark of his teeth present on his hand with a hurt face.

"How stupid can you be?" Levi asked him with a pointed look the moment he yelled a big 'ouch!'.

"That was interesting to watch, but like I was trying to tell you, I don't think it's going to work in your case, dummy-yummy." Hanji said between two fits of laughter. At least someone was having fun…

"But you do have an idea, don't you? And you haven't told us everything yet, too." Hanji looked at Levi with an amused smile.

"Of course, I do. And you're right too. The second thing I wanted to say concerns the Captain now. You see, what makes this situation _this_ interesting, is that... The Captain's name was Levi."

Eren quickly sobered up from the pain still present in his left hand and looked, once again, dumbfounded at their host. What kind of weird coincidence was all of that?

"We both have their names…" Eren eventually blurted out in a haze.

"Correct. Which makes me think everything is connected somehow!"

"You already knew we had the same name as them. So why wait until today to tell us? Why not tell us yesterday?" Levi's gaze was suspicious and careful. He didn't really enjoy being lied to.

"Because I needed time to find this beauty!"

Hanji took a ring out of their pocket and showed it to them, looking jubilant. It was the color of silver but shone the same way as his mother's jewelries made of gold. They put it down near Eren, and he took a closer look at it. Inside the band was the letter _L_ engraved, next to a deep blue gemstone.

"Is that…" Eren looked up at them, his eyes shining in excitement.

"One of their wedding bands, yes, it is! My family had it in their possession for centuries now."

"How is that even-"

"Possible? Well, with a bit of organization… I mean, I don't know, doesn't seem that impossible to me."

"But?" Levi urged them.

"But we lost the second one. We used to have the two of them, a long time ago. We tried to find it again, but with no avail. All I know, is that it is here, in Shiganshina."

"And you want us to find it."

"How smart can you be, honey bun?" They grabbed his left cheek with their fingers like grandmas often do with children before Levi smacked their hand away. "That's exactly right!"

After that, Hanji tried to explain to them that it was the only lead they had and were pretty confident it would work. Levi was a bit skeptic about all of it, asking them how they expected the two of them to find something they hadn't been able to find by themselves for years, centuries if you counted the rest of Hanji's family. The only explanation they gave him in reply was that it hadn't been their destiny to find the lost ring, but Eren shrinking was a sign the two teenagers might be able to. It seemed a bit farfetched, but with everything that had happened to him in the last few days, Eren was ready to try and believe anything.

Once Hanji had told them everything they needed to know to help them in their quest, Levi silently put Eren in his inner pocket and the chain holding the ring around his neck before going back to his own house.

The walk back was quiet. Eren wanted to break it, but it was hard to start a conversation with the raven from where he was. Even once they were back inside Levi's room, getting ready to go to sleep, silence was still enveloping the both of them, like a blanket which left Eren suffocating under its heaviness.

"Do you really believe in what they told us?"

"Yeah."

That was all Levi said to him before going into his own bed and turning the lights off.


	5. Chapter 5

"You can come with me only if you promise not to move, talk or do anything stupid."

That was what Levi had told him in the morning before going to school.

It was Wednesday, and Levi only had classes in the morning, which meant they could go around the town in the afternoon to search for the missing ring together. Eren had tried to convince him to let him come with him, so that he wouldn't have to make the round trip to his house to get him once school was over. It would save the both of them time, and for Eren, it meant he wouldn't have to wait alone in Levi's room all morning.

The teenager had eventually agreed on those only conditions, which seemed pretty fair to Eren. It wasn't like he wanted to give Levi any trouble, or for anyone to see him like this. A lot of students knew him there, it was his high school too after all. If all he had to do was keep his head down and stay hidden in Levi's front pocket, he would do it. It wasn't a big deal, or so he had thought.

The pocket of Levi's shirt wasn't high enough to completely hide him, so he had to bend his knees a little, and it was awfully hot in there too, with it being narrow. There was also probably the fact that he was closer to Levi's body than when he was in his jacket, which made him feel his body heat. Eren was pretty sure he would feel his heartbeat if he put his hand on the fabric if he tried – not that he would – with how close he was to his chest.

He quickly found that the most comfortable position for him was to sit and hold his knees close to his chest. Like that, he wasn't affected by Levi's movement as much as when he was standing, and it hurt his knees way less than squatting too. And then, all he could do was wait, since he couldn't exactly have a conversation with Levi. Everyone would think he was talking to himself, or more exactly, he wouldn't even bother replying.

It was overall more boring than staying in Levi's room, now that he thought about it. He had no room to move, couldn't even be on his phone, and had to listen to Levi's boring classes. He wasn't even listening in his own classes, so why would he listen to Levi's? Especially since he was in a four hours mathematics class. _Mathematics_! The worst subject in the world for him! There was a reason he had stopped it as soon as he had been able to and had chosen the literary course. He couldn't even understand half of the things the teacher was saying.

At some point, Levi stood up and went to the board to solve a question. As the raven was writing on the black board, Eren took a look at what he was actually writing – since the teenager was facing away from everybody no one would be able to see him – and couldn't even recognize half of the symbols on the board. Why wasn't it just numbers? Why were there letters too? And what was that weird wavy symbol with things written at the top and the bottom of it? Why would anyone study this on their own free will? It was completely incomprehensible to him.

Finally, after four hours of what Eren couldn't call anything but torture, Levi was gathering and putting his things away in his bag, ready to leave the class and ultimately the school. The brunet felt a surge of anticipation run through him at the thought they would start looking around for the ring. He had no idea how they would be able to find such a small object or where to start looking, but he was excited nonetheless.

His happiness quickly turned sour and into frustration as he heard someone call after Levi and stop him on his way out. A feminine voice on top of that.

"Levi!"

"Hi, Petra." Levi didn't sound enthusiastic nor did he sound pissed off. He sounded neutral.

"Are you going to the library? I thought we could go and study together."

The girl's voice was really high-pitched and Eren started glaring at her through Levi's shirt, even though she couldn't see him. She was delaying them. They had better things to do.

"No, I can't today." His reply was curt and short, which strangely made Eren smile.

"Oh, that's a shame. You already have something to do?"

"Yeah, something like that."

"What about tomorrow? Would it be okay then?"

Couldn't she get the hint and leave them alone? Eren had started to have enough of it and punched Levi in the chest as hard as his little fist allowed him to, trying to get his message across to the raven. Levi seemed to flinch a little and put his hand over his pocket, making everything seem even darker than before to the brunet.

"We'll talk about that later." Was he talking to the girl or to Eren? He couldn't tell. "I need to go now."

"Oh, okay… Well, see you tomorrow!" Her voice fell a bit at the beginning but then recovered its perky tone by the end of it.

Levi then quickly exited the building without adding anything further, and Eren cheered internally. His smile vanished the moment Levi opened his pocket and look down at him, a scowl present on his face.

"What the hell was that for, asshat?"

"You were taking too long to send her away. Besides, I'm hungry."

Levi started walking again, not even replying to him, but Eren could hear him mumble even though he couldn't make out the words. It wasn't before ten minutes that the raven helped him get out of the pocket and put him next to him on the bench he was sitting on. He then proceeded to take out his lunch, a sandwich, and a small container with Eren's food which consisted of the same ingredients but in an appropriate size for his mouth.

They ate in silence, Eren glancing towards Levi from time to time, observing the way he would scan his surroundings with his dark blue eyes, possibly on alert for anyone who would come near them. Levi was always very mindful with him and his situation, making sure he always had what he needed, being careful not to hurt him when he moved him from one place to another, and going on an impossible search with him across town. Contradictorily to his actions, he always seemed bored or mad at Eren, as if he wanted nothing to do with him. It was a bit confusing for the brunet sometimes, but ultimately, he was okay with it. He had missed spending time with his best friend – even if he wasn't sure he could still call him that now. No matter if it really annoyed him, at least he was helping him, and Eren was really grateful for that.

Once they had both finished eating, Levi put Eren back into his pocket delicately, and started walking again. They had agreed to search the east side of the village today, and immediately started their investigation. They didn't really know how to find the ring, so they just went with looking around everywhere, moving rocks and leaves to see underneath them. Eren's head was poking out of the pocket to look as well, in case Levi would miss something, but more than once he had to dip down inside it to hide from people walking by them.

At the end of the day, they had found nothing, and went back to Levi's house empty handed. They didn't exchange any words once home. Levi immediately went to his desk to study, and all Eren could do was watch him. He could see by the frown between his eyebrows how frustrated the raven was, and Eren didn't know what to say or what to do. He was frustrated as well, but undeterred overall. It was their first day searching, and he had known from the beginning it wouldn't be easy. It was the same as looking for a needle in a haystack after all.

The following day, they found nothing as well. They had less time to search since Levi had classes in the afternoon, and it had ended the same as the day before. No idea where to look, going back home empty handed and frustrated. As Levi was doing his homework, Eren was looking at the ring from every angle, searching for something he might not have noticed before, but there was nothing more than what he had already seen. There weren't any hidden messages which would help them find the other ring. Even though, he kept turning the ring in his hands while examining it.

They went looking for it again the next day, and the next. Their search would always go the same way: Eren in Levi's front pocket and Levi searching in every nook and cranny, all of it in silence. From time to time, the brunet swore he could hear Levi mumble things like "_This is stupid_" or "_Why did I get myself involved in this?_", but despite all his complaining, Levi still went with him every day after school to search for the ring around the village, until sunset.

Eren started to feel guilty as he watched Levi study later and later every day because of him. He was only a nuisance. He couldn't even go out by himself to search for it. He couldn't do anything on his own. All he did was bother Levi and abuse his help. If only they could find it soon…

**XxxxXxxxX**

Sunday came around, and there was still no sign of the missing ring. Eren was in a very bad mood: all hope he had had was gone and had left him completely discouraged. It had been a week since he had shrunk, and he was still as tiny as the day before. He wasn't sure finding the ring would do anything now, if they managed to find it at all. His mother was sending him almost every day a text asking him when he would come back, and it hurt every time he had to reply something along the lines of "_not now, but soon_".

He had missed the award ceremony too. The whole reason why he had fought with his father that day, why he had run away and found himself in the middle of a storm, which pushed him to hide inside the cave. He hadn't been able to attend it, and it was the last straw. Or maybe it was the fact he hadn't won the first place. Zeke had gone in his place, and had told him the result: he had ranked second. It was still incredible, it had made him happy, but it had also not cheered him up. He was feeling even more useless, more lost. All he wanted was to go home and sleep in his own bed. He wanted all of it to be over.

"What is wrong with you today? Why are you pouting?"

Levi's voice broke the silence which had surrounded them since they had left the house. They were searching near the beach today, so until now, all he had been hearing were the waves and seagulls flying above them.

"Am not."

"Get out of your hiding place and say that to my face, then."

Eren bend his neck upwards and made eye contact with Levi who was keeping the pocket open to look at him. The brunet was sitting with his knees close to his chest, his arms encircling his legs, similar to when he had hidden when Levi had taken him to school four days ago. He had stopped looking out of the pocket for a while now, already resigned to not find anything again.

"What is wrong with you?" Levi asked once more, his voice betraying his impatience. "The only reason we are searching is to get you back to normal. If you're not interested, we're going home." His tone became harsher towards the end, and Eren couldn't help but grit his teeth.

"As if we're going to find anything anyway! It's been five days and we didn't find squat! It's useless! I'll never get my normal size back!"

Eren had completely lost himself to his anger and frustration. He wasn't controlling the words escaping his mouth anymore. He was just so defeated and resigned. He was tired of everything.

"Fine. If that's what you want, stay like this for the rest of your life."

Levi's face had turned cold and impassive, and his tone had been harsh and reproachful. His eyes were reduced to small slits and looked like the ocean in the middle of a storm, waves crushing on each other without a pattern and swallowing everything on their way.

Eren couldn't remember seeing Levi that mad and upset before, and he didn't understand why he was in the first place. He was the one who had the right to be angry. He was the one who was stuck as a fifteen centimeters person. He was the one living through hell every minute of every single day since it had happened. He was the one–

His train of thoughts came to a stop when water fell on the top of his head, wetting half of his hair. He tried to look upwards to see what was going on, but the pocket had been shut close and soon afterwards, he could feel Levi moving very fast – running probably. Eren had to hold to the inside of the pocket in order not to be swung too hard, and soon he felt Levi's shirt getting wet and cold, which made him realize the situation.

It was raining and Levi was trying to find a shelter for the both of them, while trying to prevent Eren from being too much wet.

After a few minutes, Eren felt Levi slow down and then stop completely, removing his hand from the top of the pocket and letting Eren poke his head out. They were in the cave, and the situation made the brunet think back to a week ago when the same had happened to him. Being on the beach, being surprised by the rain, running to hide in the cave, being drenched… And that was what Levi was: drenched. Water was running down his hair and face, falling down on the sand beneath them.

Before he had more time to look at the raven or look around them, Levi brought his hand near the pocket and helped Eren get out of it in order to put him down on a rock. He then turned a bit away from the brunet and started removing his shirt, undoing the buttons, leaving him only in an undershirt. He tried to get the water out of the fabric as much as he could and put it back on, the fabric completely wrinkled by his attempt of drying it. Then, he put a hand in his hair, pushing his wet locks away from his forehead and back on his head while shaking them a bit to get rid of the excess of water.

Eren couldn't look away from the scene in front of him. It was like he was entranced by it, his eyes glued to the tall figure in front of him, trying to take every detail in. His staring was brutally interrupted when he noticed Levi staring back, an eyebrow raised in a silent question, making him look away towards the center of the cave, his face a bit hot. He tried to remove the water he had gotten in his hair too, when he suddenly heard Levi sitting next to the rock he was on, his face level to his small body.

Silence enveloped them once again, only broken by the sound of the rain pouring outside, and occasionally the wind blowing and whistling in their ears. Eren was enveloped by a haze, not able to formulate even one coherent thought in his mind, before Levi finally broke it and the bubble of silence around them.

"This isn't like you to give up." Eren had been able to calm down since their conversation a few minutes earlier, but Levi's remark sparked the flame of his rage anew.

"Oh, because you know me _so_ well! We've been _so_ close lately that you know everything about me!" His voice was dripping with sarcasm and repressed anger.

"You haven't changed that much in those few years." Levi's voice, on the contrary, was level and composed.

"What do you really know, uh?" Eren was having a hard time controlling his anger now.

"People don't change that much in three years."

"Really?" Eren laughed hollowly at that. "Because you have." He countered harshly. "Changed."

Levi was silent for a few second, looking in front of him, not meeting Eren piercing and fiery glare.

"I suppose I have." He finally answered in a low whisper. "But you haven't."

"Whatever, Levi. You're always right anyway."

The brunet crossed his arms in front of him, both because of annoyance and because he was starting to get cold, the low temperature of the rock slowly cooling his body. Levi eventually turned towards him and met his teal eyes, his face less calm than it had been a few minutes ago.

"Don't be a dumbass. I'm trying here."

"Trying what?" Eren spat back angrily. "To apologize for pushing me away like I didn't matter? Because that's not what I'm hearing."

"That's not–" The raven cut himself and passed a hand aggressively in his hair while sighing loudly, his eyes closed. "Oh, forget it."

"Like our friendship?"

"What are you even–"

"I'm mad Levi, okay? I tried not to bring that up because I had other things to worry about, but since I'm stuck as I am, I don't care anymore." He couldn't control his emotions. He was feeling like he was about to explode, and there was no way to stop the words coming out of his mouth. "You were my best friend. You were the person I was the closest to. The person I knew best and who knew me best. And you pushed me away! Broke every single thing we had built during all those years! How did you think that would make me feel? Happy? Because it didn't!"

"That's not what I thought." Levi replied back with an angry tone of his own.

"No, because you didn't think!"

"Really? You think I woke up one morning and thought 'oh, why not stop being friends with Eren, that would be cool'."

"That's how I imagine it anyway." For a second, he thought he had seen hurt in Levi's eyes, but one second later it was gone.

"Well, it wasn't like that. I made a hard decision, and I stuck to it. Nothing about it was easy!"

"You're going to tell me it hurt you now?" Eren laughed bitterly, even more upset in front of Levi's 'I'm the victim here' kind of act.

"Yes, it did, you fucking moron! Do you think I'm heartless?"

"Sometimes I wonder..."

"Well, breaking news, I'm not! If you pulled your head out of your ass you would know it!"

"I'm the one who needs to do that? What about you, uh? Do you know how much that hurt me? How broken I was afterwards? And that was all your fault!"

At some point, Eren had stood up in order to face Levi better, and because he couldn't keep sitting anymore with the rage that was boiling inside of him. Levi was turned towards him too, but at his last words, he sat back normally, letting Eren only see his left profile, his eyes looking towards his hands on his laps.

"I knew you would recover anyway..."

"What?" Levi's voice had been so low that Eren wasn't really sure of what he had said.

"I didn't have any choice, okay?" Levi started yelling, turning his head towards Eren once more. "And I knew you were strong enough to rebound and that eventually you'll be okay!"

"Well, guess what, I'm not! You broke my heart that day Levi, and it still is! And between the two of us, you're the strongest one!" Eren could feel tears starting to well up at the corner of his eyes. Tears of anger or sadness, he had no idea. Maybe a mix of both.

"I'm not really... I wouldn't have done that if I was..." His voice turned low again, his attention back to his fingers.

"Why did you do it anyway? Because I was annoying you and keeping you from studying?"

"That's not–"

"Then what was it then?" Eren cut him, more frustrated than ever. He had wanted answers since it had happened and needed to know _why_. "Tell me, Levi! Because I can't read your freaking mind!"

The distant rumbling of thunder could be heard outside the cave as both of them went quiet. Eren was breathing heavily after pouring his heart out, anger still present on his face with hurt hidden behind it. He quickly turned away from the friend who had betrayed his trust, knowing he wouldn't get an answer, and sat down again on the rock with his head in his hands. He was feeling both better after saying what had been on his mind for three years and worse than before since nothing had come out of their conversation except more confusion.

"Eren…"

"What now?" The brunet spat out, no bite really present in his tone, reflecting how tired he was.

"Look."

He heard Levi stand up next to him and move away before he had the time to look up to see what the raven had seen. He watched him walk slowly, a bit wobbly on his feet, until he kneeled down. Eren couldn't quite see yet why he had called him out, until Levi started searching in the sand and held up a second later something shiny between his fingers for him to see.

The ring. The missing ring they had been searching for all those days.

They had finally found it.


	6. Chapter 6

Eren looked absentmindedly at the ring on the desk next to him, lost in his thoughts. He was still having a hard time understanding how it had appeared in the cave next to them when they had already checked it before. Had they missed it when they had first searched? He stopped his train of thoughts immediately by shaking his head. It didn't really matter now. What mattered was that they had found it.

Unfortunately, nothing had changed after they had had the ring in their possession. Eren still remained small. He didn't know what he had expected. Maybe something magical to happen like in movies, but nothing of the sort had happened, obviously. As his eyes wandered over the letter _E_ engraved inside the new ring next to a green gemstone, he thought back to the event of the day before.

Levi and him had been thrilled to find the ring, their harsh conversation of earlier entirely put aside to focus on their discovery. Eren couldn't look anywhere but at the ring, entranced by it like someone finally seeing the sun after being locked up underground for days. It was his ticket for freedom, to go back to his normal train of life. To be _him_ again.

Levi put it down next to him on the rock while taking out the other ring hanging around his neck on a chain and holding it in the palm of his hand.

"What now?" Eren asked quietly, as if afraid to ruin the mysterious atmosphere that had suddenly enveloped them.

"I don't know." Levi answered with a voice as low. "Maybe try to put them on?"

Without waiting for Eren to agree or disagree with his idea, he took the ring and tried putting it on his left hand, like a wedding band. However, the ring was too large for his slender finger and wouldn't remain in place without him holding his hand up. On his side, there was no way Eren could put the ring on his finger with the difference of size. At best, he would be able to put it on his head as a crown, but that wasn't really how it was supposed to be worn. Instead, he took the ring with both of his hands and hold it in front of him, waiting for something to happen.

"This ring is too big for me." Levi complained, moving his fingers on his left hand while being cautious as to not drop the ring.

"Have you seen me?" Eren whined, still not sure what to do with the jewel.

Levi glanced at him, his hand still stretched in front of him to look at the too large ring, his lips curving upwards a little in a smirk in front of Eren's struggles – which faded almost as soon as it had appeared.

"Not really working, huh?" The raven put the ring back on the chain and did the same with the newfound one after retrieving it from Eren's tiny hands. "Guess we'll have to see Hanji again."

Which brought him back to his current situation.

He was alone in Levi's room, the two rings besides him on the desk, and he was waiting for the raven to come back for lunch for them to eat, and then for the teenager to bring him to Hanji's house. When Levi had exchanged text messages with them when the both of them were still trapped in the cave because of the storm, they had let him know they wouldn't be available on Monday morning, but he could bring Eren in the afternoon for them to talk about their discovery while Levi went back to class.

Waiting another day when they had found what they had been looking for was frustrating Eren to no end, even if he tried to calm down by telling himself over and over again that one morning wouldn't change anything. If it had been up to him, he would have run to Hanji's house the same evening they had found the ring, but he wasn't the one making the decisions. Besides, they had gotten home pretty late because of the storm, Levi's mother waiting for them – or more accurately Levi – with a towel to dry his hair, a hot bath ready for him. There was nothing else he could do beside wait. _Again_.

"Come on, move your tiny ass, I don't have a lot of time." It was the first thing Levi told him when he got home for his lunch break.

It wasn't like Eren was expecting sweet words from the raven, especially after their unresolved fight the previous day, but it still made him sigh rather loudly in front of Levi's furrowed brow. Which intensified in front of his reaction.

"Is there a problem? Do I need to lift you up by your clothes so we can go?"

Eren shook his head, not really wanting to answer, and climbed inside Levi's open palm to get to his reserved seat inside his jacket. It turned out they wouldn't eat together, Levi needing to go back to school as soon as possible, and Eren would instead have lunch with Hanji. It didn't really surprise him, but somehow, he felt a bit disappointed. The distance he had thought had shorten between us since the beginning of this – not exactly but still kind of – fairy tale now seemed to have increased even more than before.

Hanji welcomed the both of them with another well-chosen nickname for the both of them, a huge smile plastered on their face. As soon as Levi had handed Eren out to them, the same way he had also gave them the rings – making him feel like an object rather than a human being, he went out without even looking back, leaving Eren in an even sourer mood than before.

"Let's eat and then get started, shall we?" Hanji grinned at him, not noticing his discomfort or most probably trying to ease it with their cheerfulness.

They ate in an unexpected silence, Hanji inhaling their food rather than eating it, which resulted in them finishing way ahead of Eren, who was still struggling with his share. While he continued eating – at a faster pace than he would normally, feeling awkward to be the only one eating now – they seemed to be deep in thought, their eyes closed and a serious frown on their face.

The brunet had only just put the last piece of his lunch in his mouth when Hanji turned to him, eyes wide open and glasses up on their head.

"What did you guys do when you found it?"

Eren swallowed his mouthful rather quickly in order to answer, but had to close his eyes in pain, coughing a little, when the food came down his throat.

"We both took a ring. Levi put his on his left ring finger, and I held mine in my hands."

"And nothing happened." It wasn't a question, since the result was obvious when looking at Eren.

"Yeah…" There was a silence for a moment, Eren looking at them to study their expression and being surprised to see no disappointment on their face. "You knew it wouldn't work?"

"Let's say it was fifty-fifty." Hanji sighed, looking at the rings on the table between the both of them.

"Why did you make us do that if you knew it wouldn't work?" His frustration from the morning came back suddenly, making him clench his fists.

"Because there was still a fifty percent chance it would." Hanji replied calmly, a soft and apologetic smile on their lips. They looked briefly at his hands before adding: "It's better than zero, sweetie."

"I guess you're right…" He relaxed at their words, a bit guilty to have raised his voice – even if only a little – at them when all they were trying to do was help. "So, what now?"

"Well, I'm still thinking about it but…" They were once again deep in thought, their elbows on the table and their hands holding their head. "Which ring were you holding in that moment?"

"Huh?" He remembered perfectly which one, but he hadn't been expecting that question and it had caught him off guard.

"The lapis lazuli one? Or the green sapphire one?"

Eren looked at them with wide eyes, confused. "The… What?" He had no idea what the words they had used were referring too. Sapphire was the name of a stone, if he wasn't mistaken…

"The one with the blue stone, or the green one?" Hanji asked again, calm and patient. It was indeed about the stones, as he had guessed.

"The green one but… Aunt Hanji… How do you know the name of the stones?"

His head was buzzing and he was completely lost. There was something that was bothering him. Something that had been bothering him since the day before and was crawling back inside his head, like an animal on the hunt, waiting for the right moment to jump while hidden behind bushes.

"Oh, that?" They laughed briefly, putting their glasses back on their nose. "It's a hobby of mine. I took a look at them and guessed what they were, that's all, jellybean."

"But you…" His heart was beating fast inside his chest. He could hear it pulsing in his ears. "You never looked at the ring we found…" Something was off, he knew it.

"Really?" They seemed thoughtful for a moment, not at all unfazed by Eren's obvious uneasiness. "Maybe I remember it from something my grandma told me once?"

"But you said… You said you looked at them… That it's a hobby…" He still couldn't put his finger on what was bothering him. It was just _there_, in his head, he was so close to figure it out…

"Oh, come on, silly bear! It's not that important." They laughed it off again and that was when it suddenly clicked.

"You…" His body had gone very still, the noise in his head gone but his heart still pounding fast. "You already had the ring… didn't you?"

The room went completely silent, except for the clock ticking on the wall beside them. Eren looked at the face of his aunt, hoping to see their eyes closed and their crow's feet accentuated by their usual cheerfulness, hoping to see them smiling like he had said something stupid which was making them laugh, hoping to… be wrong.

Hanji was smiling, but it looked strained and their eyes were reflecting tiredness. Resignation. _Peace_.

"Yes." It was almost a whisper, but Eren heard it despite the anger starting to boil inside him.

"Why?" His voice was a bit raspy but he didn't pay it any mind. "Why did you make us look for it then? We lost so much time trying to find it! _I _lost so much time!" He was feeling both angry and betrayed. Tears were starting to well up in his eyes because of frustration. "Why didn't you give it to us right away? Or I don't know, sooner!"

It made sense now why they hadn't found the ring the first time they had searched the cave. Why they had found it later, almost easily, after all those dead-ends. It had all been planned. From the beginning. They had sent them on a wild quest, an impossible one, making them run in circle, crushing little by little his hope until he had hit rock bottom, and only then they had given him what he desperately needed. But he couldn't understand _why_ they had done it.

"I get why you're angry, honey bunch. But I didn't have any choice."

"I hear that a lot recently…" Eren gritted his teeth and sat down on the table and put his head in his hands, utterly tired. Everything was a mess. His head was in a mess.

"Tell me something, kitty. Was it really lost time?" Eren looked up at them, his eyebrows knitted in confusion. Hanji, on the contrary, looked peaceful, almost fond. "Didn't you spend it with Levi? Did nothing come out of it?"

Had it really been lost time? It was true he had been happy to be able to spend time with his best friend. It had been too long and he had missed it, but everything was different now. Levi was different. Even though, he had missed his presence, being able to talk to him, go on adventures with him. It hadn't been all for nothing but… He remembered their argument and hung his head low one more time.

"We fought…" He had said it in a whisper. He wasn't even sure they had heard him until he felt something under his chin – a finger – forcing him to raise his head and look at Hanji's brown eyes.

"Fighting isn't always bad, you know. Sometimes it's needed to set things straight. Is it not what happened?"

"I don't know… I don't understand Levi anymore…" His voice was all chocked up and he bit into his lip in embarrassment. Why was he so emotional right now?

"Oh, sweetheart, don't you worry about that." They comforted him in a gentle tone. "I'm sure things will work out. You guys are talking now. It's what's important, right? It's better than nothing!"

"I guess…" It was certainly true that the last week had been better than the last three years, but… It seemed like they were miles away from the way they used to be.

"Would you like to hear another story, baby pancake?" They smiled, seeming pleased to have gained the brunet's attention. "It's about someone who has lived their entire life trying to hold up to a promise they made a long time ago."

Eren had always loved listening to Hanji's stories, so he couldn't find any good reason to say no. Besides, it could distract him from his confused thoughts. He crossed his legs and put his hands on his knees, making himself comfortable for what he knew was going to be a long story, and looked intensely at his aunt. Hanji smiled maliciously and started their story-telling.

"This is a story about someone who had been fighting their whole life for freedom, knowledge and for their comrades. They were the kind of person to put their soul into everything they did, and was ready to do whatever they could to protect their loved ones. But one day, they lost one of them, and were forced to bear heavy responsibilities. They were suddenly the one making all the decisions, and couldn't just protect the persons closest to them. They had to protect everyone. It was a heavy burden, and it weighted a lot on their mind, but they did what they could.

"Unfortunately, things went completely wrong. They weren't in control of anything all of the sudden and were completely lost. They still tried to do the best they could, but it wasn't nearly enough. Because of that, the person they were the closest to was severely injured. They had been betrayed, threatened, backed into a corner… But when they saw the bloody face of their best friend, they knew what they had to do. They had to protect them, no matter what. Make sure they would be safe, give them a chance to heal and rest. And that was what they did, but it hadn't been enough either.

"Once they managed to bring their friend to safety, they realized they were too late. They wouldn't be able to save them. So instead, they promised them they would do everything in their power to reunite them with their significant other. You see, that person was married, and in their critical situation, all they could do was call the name of their lover. That was why they made this promise. Luckily, the partner of their dying friend managed to find them before it was too late. The two of them got to say their goodbyes before that person's last breath. In a way, they had kept their promise and reunited them. But still, for them, it didn't feel like they had done enough.

"So instead, they spent the rest of their life trying to protect the lover of their dead friend. They tried to be there for them as much as they could, help them, support them. That was all they could think of. And when the time came for that person to give their last breath too, they took both of their wedding bands, and kept them with them until theirs. But as they were waiting to close their eyes for the last time, they didn't feel like they had hold up to their promise. Everything felt unachieved. It was with those feelings that they sink into nothingness.

"The next thing they knew, they were living in a complete different environment, with different people, and with a different name. They could remember perfectly what had happened to them, how they had died, and more importantly, their promise. As they became aware of what had happened to them, they realized they had been given another chance to fulfill it. They managed to find the wedding bands in the same place they remembered hiding them, and held on to them until the time they sank into another deep sleep.

"It then happened again, and again, and again. Their life would end for them to start another. And every time they would remember their promise and their life back then, but not really the others. They searched every time for the person they had made that promise to, managing to find them sometimes, and others not. Or they would find that person's lover, but never the two of them at the same time. Still, they never gave up, and continued with their quest, finding and hiding the wedding bands at every new life, waiting for the time they would finally be able to honor their promise and find peace.

"They took that time and opportunity to tell everyone around them about what had happened during their first life, so that no one would ever forget. At the beginning, some people still remembered too, because of stories they had heard from other people. They were a lot of books about it too. But gradually, the story became a legend, books were lost or burnt, and they soon became the only person who knew. They still didn't give up and continued telling the story to their children, to the people around them, wrote books… Everything so that the story wouldn't die. So that it would keep on living, even if only in one- or two-persons' heart."

Eren had listened thoughtfully to their story, never interrupting them once, trying to store as much information in his head as he could. As Hanji seemed to have finished talking, he took a minute to let all he had heard sink in, and couldn't keep the confusion out of his face, drawing a soft smile from the person in front of him.

They hadn't given any names, had used only neutral pronouns, but somehow it had felt… oddly familiar. He couldn't help the uneasiness that enveloped him, the sickening feeling of sadness that punched him in the gut, and he had to put a hand in front of his mouth to repress the sob that was threatening to spill out.

"You… It's about… It means you're…"

His thoughts were completely muddled and he didn't know how to voice them, but somehow, he didn't have to say anything more. Hanji had understood what he was trying to say, understood that he had realized the hidden message behind their story. Their face became serious all of the sudden and they stood up abruptly from their chair, making it screech on the floor and making him look up in surprise. He immediately recognized the gesture they were doing, one fist on their heart and the other in their back, he had done it so many times when he was little after they had taught him how to do it.

"14th Commander of the Survey Corps, Hanji Zoe!" They saluted in a strong and powerful voice, confirming Eren's doubts.

"H-How is that even…" His eyes were opened wide as well as his mouth, and he couldn't speak normally, still in shock.

"It may be a bit silly to ask you now but… Do you believe in reincarnation, Eren?"

His heart literally stopped for a second and he had to take a moment to regain his composure. Hanji never called him by his name, always using silly and stupid nicknames. When he had been a child, it had somehow made sense, but now that he had grown up, it was sometimes a bit weird – but weird in a way that fitted Hanji. Now though, he might actually understand why they did.

His name was the same as someone they used to know a long time ago. Two thousand years ago. Maybe calling him by _his_ name was too weird for them, or made them remember too many things they didn't want to. Or maybe… No, he had actually no idea how they were feeling about everything, every time they looked at him or when they heard his name. And more precisely when they heard _Levi_'s name. He was having a hard time grasping the extent of their situation, but still, he couldn't help feeling a twinge of pain just thinking about it.

"Thank you for believing me."

Eren let go of the breath he hadn't even been aware of holding in, and realized tears had been falling out of his eyes. Hanji was looking at him with fond eyes and a pained smile. He stood up and walked towards them, as if on autopilot, and put both of his hands on their right hand lying on the table, trying to comfort them by the warmth of his skin.

He didn't know why, but somehow, he did. He believed them. Believed they had lived all those lives they had told him about. Believed they had been reincarnated over and over to fulfill their promise. Believed everything they had told him and what they would tell him from now on. He always did, anyway.

And today was no different.


	7. Chapter 7

The revelation of Hanji's life had left Eren with a heavy feeling in his chest as well as a burning sensation in his eyes. He was still holding on to their hand, rubbing softly their knuckles to comfort them. They looked so tired all of the sudden, as if all the years they had lived were catching up with them, but they also looked relieved, probably because they had been able to tell their story to someone else, and most importantly be accepted by that person. Anyone could have called them crazy or laugh as if they had told them a joke, but of course Eren wasn't _anyone_. He had grown up with them, listened to them telling him stories his whole life. Hanji was _family_, so of course he believed them and knew he could.

As he was thinking about what they must have endured all this time, the pain and the sorrow, a detail he had put aside suddenly caught his attention. He had been so focused on the reveal of their identity that he had almost missed it, but now it was the only thing dominating his thoughts.

"The friend you made a promise to was… Captain Levi, right?" Eren asked tentatively.

"Yes, it was." They replied with a wistful smile, their eyes shining under the kitchen's light.

"And you said you… saw him again? In another life?" It was just a theory in his mind, but somehow, he thought he finally understood the reason why they had told him all of this.

"I did. As well as Eren, his husband."

"But never at the same time…"

"That's right." They seemed to know he had understood, but was humoring him by answering all of his questions, giving him the time he needed to process everything.

"What about… What about in this life?" Eren already knew the answer but needed to hear it directly from them. Needed to hear them saying the exact words before he could believe it.

"I found the both of them."

"You mean their reincarnations?"

"Yes." Their smile had turned soft and understanding, and they were now the one rubbing his hands gently to appease him.

"Do they… Did they ever remember, like you?"

"No, they never remembered. Not even once."

"Okay…"

"Honey, you-"

"I'm fine. I'm okay." The brunet cut them off before they could say anything.

His head had started to buzz again and he was lost in the maze of his thoughts and the whirlwind of his emotions. He didn't know how he should react, how he should feel, about any of it. It was just… surreal.

"You can ask me if you want to." Hanji tried again tentatively, once Eren seemed to have calm down a little.

"Me and Levi, we are… the reincarnations of Humanity's Hope and Humanity's Strongest?"

There, he had finally asked it, and it felt like a rock had been lifted from his chest. Nevertheless, he couldn't grasp the reality of what it implied yet.

"Yes. Your souls are the same."

"Our souls?" It was another concept that brought confusion to his already lost mind.

"I don't really know why, but I've always been able to feel people's souls. Or at least, the ones of the people I used to know. That's how I knew each time that I had found them. How I found you two." They carefully stroked the side of his head with one finger, a fond smile on their lips. "I met Carla and Kuchel at university, you already know that." Eren nodded slowly, looking into their eyes intensely. "I approached them because there was some kind of familiar feeling emanating from them. I didn't know why, but I felt compelled to them. It wasn't until the two of you were born that I finally understood why."

"What does all of that mean, Aunt Hanji? I'm… I don't…"

"I know it's confusing, cuddle bug. I wasn't planning on telling you any of it, but… Since this happened…"

"So…" Eren started slowly, still unsure if he wanted to ask this question. "Does that make us… me and Levi… soulmates?" The word sounded wrong in his ears, but that was the only one he had been able to find.

"Pretty much, yeah."

Eren could see that Hanji was regretting telling him everything, or at least they seemed worried about him and his reactions. On his side he just… didn't know. He didn't know what it meant honestly, if it was meant to change something in him.

He had always been close to Levi, had grown up with him. Those feelings were genuine at least, right? It wasn't because of some kind of invisible forces which were trying to pull them together, right? If it wasn't, then what about his current situation? Hanji had asked him if it had been all for nothing, that at least he had been together with Levi. Had the point of all of this been it? Spending time with Levi? He had no idea what to think nor feel right now.

He was completely and utterly lost.

"Hey, little sunshine." They waited until Eren looked at them before continuing. "It's okay to feel confused right now. I know it's confusing. But it doesn't mean anything is different. You're still you, and Levi is still Levi." They used a finger to raise his head furthermore, their gaze directed right into his teal eyes. "I want you to know that I've never treated the two of you as anyone else than yourselves, and you shouldn't either. Everything I told you doesn't change anything."

"I- I know… Thank you, Aunt Hanji." He gave them a small smile, the first one to appear on his lips since the beginning of their conversation.

"Are you going to tell him about what we talked about?" They asked in a gentle voice, treating him with great consideration.

"Levi? No way!" Eren shook his head furiously, refusing even to think about telling him about them being soulmates. That would sure _help_ their situation. "It would just make everything weird between us, and I really don't need that right now. It's already pretty awkward and all… Besides, he's just helping me out of pity, so there's no need for him to know…"

"Are you sure about that?"

"About what? Not telling him? Yeah, completely."

"No, not that." Hanji shook their head and then looked at him with a mysterious glee in their eyes. "That he's helping you out of pity."

"Oh, that? Well… We haven't really talked in the last few years and all, probably because he hates me, so… Yeah." Eren shifted his weight from one leg to the other nervously, squirming under their intense gaze.

"Hmm…" Both of their hands were enveloping their cheeks to maintain their head up, elbows on the table. Their eyes turned mischievous and their smile teasing. "What about you, then, lover boy? You hate him too?"

Eren started blushing furiously because of both the nickname they had used and the innuendo that didn't go unnoticed. "What are y-you even trying to s-say?" He bit his lips in embarrassment for being so affected by a small remark, leaving him a blushing and stuttering mess.

"Hmm… Nothing, nothing." They replied in a sing-song voice, apparently pleased with themselves.

Eren desperately tried to change the subject while Hanji was giggling enthusiastically, seeming to enjoy his reactions and facial expressions. A few minutes later, when Eren had given up on putting a stop to their gleefulness, he heard the door to the kitchen open and saw Levi pass the threshold to join them.

"There you guys are. I went looking for you in the study."

His arms were crossed in front of his chest, but he didn't seem that much pissed, at least not like Eren would have thought. Instead he seemed a bit fidgety, his eyes not staying on the same point for very long. Eren stared at him a few seconds before realizing what he was doing and immediately averted his eyes. Damn Hanji and their insinuations. Now he felt awkward.

"Sorry, sorry, candy cane! We ate and lost track of time. We had a _very_ interesting conversation." They looked meaningfully at Eren which cursed them under his breath.

"Yeah? You found something?" Levi leaned against the wooden cupboards, looking alternately at the both of them.

"Well, I found out that Eren is–"

"Aaah!" Eren immediately cut them off while waving his hands, panicking. He knew them enough to be sure they would talk about it if he let them. The brunet looked over at the short teenager, who had an eyebrow raised in confusion because of his outburst. "It's nothing, really!" He quickly added, trying to find a way out of it without raising Levi's suspicions too much. "Hum, I mean- nothing important, really. Like, for us. Uh- our quest! I mean, about my size. For me to go back to normal. Nothing. About that. Really."

Levi had narrowed his eyes, looking at him suspiciously while listening to the brunet's rant, clearly not convinced by his act. Eren had really screwed everything up by acting like this. It was even more suspicious than what he had intended it to be, but thankfully the raven let it pass and didn't ask any further question about it. Instead, he turned towards Hanji to ask them what they could do now.

Hanji was still laughing a little, but their giggles slowed down to permit them to answer the raven's question. They apparently had an idea of what they could do since finding the ring hadn't changed anything, and Eren turned towards them, his grudge quickly forgotten and his interest picked. He suspected they had known all along but had been waiting for Levi to be there as well.

It turned out that the place they had found the ring, the cave, was the place the Captain and the Titan shifter had gotten married during the _Great War_. Eren had a hard time processing the information, caught off by surprise, but Hanji quickly explained that it hadn't always been a cave. Two thousand years ago, Shiganshina's topography had been completely different and the ocean hadn't been so close to the town as well. What was a cave today used to be a beautiful clearing in the middle of a forest, away from prying eyes and so the perfect spot for a secret wedding.

"What a poetic coincidence, right?" Hanji added concerning their discovery.

Eren wanted to laugh. _Coincidence_ was the wrong word since they had been the one putting the ring there, and _poetic_ just sounded like they were flattering themselves. He still kept himself in check though, sneaking a peak towards Levi to see his reaction. The brunet doubted he would buy the whole 'coincidence' thing considering how doubtful he had been about a lot of things since the beginning. Nonetheless, Levi didn't add anything more, only asking for their next step.

"I'm glad you're asking me that, jelly sweets! Since you two guys found the ring at the place they got married, I was thinking you could try going to the place they said goodbye!"

"You mean… where the Captain died?" Eren asked hesitantly, finding the suggestions a bit odd.

"Exactly, gummy bear!"

"But why?" Going to such a place felt strange to the brunet, and he couldn't understand how it could help them, or more so, _him_.

"Hush. Don't you trust me?"

Eren gave them a meaningful look. It wasn't like he didn't trust them, but with all the things they had kept hidden from him and the lies, he wasn't sure if he could, at least in this particular situation. But considering he didn't really have that much of a choice, he resigned himself to follow their advice. Or more like he would follow Levi, if he was willing to trust them. He was tied to him anyway.

"Why not?" Levi said with a big sigh. "It isn't like we have another lead."

"That's my pumpkin pie!" Hanji exclaimed cheerfully while getting out of their seat and jumping to hug the teenager in their arms – who desperately tried to get away from their grip.

Eren laughed heartily, watching two of the closest persons to him interacting with close familiarity, and a twinge of melancholia hit him as he realized how much he wanted to join them. Levi gave him an annoyed glare when he heard him laugh, which only made the brunet's smile grew wider. Hanji looked at the same direction as their captive and smiled genuinely at Eren.

"I've been meaning to ask you this for a while but… Where did you got your clothes?" They released their prey in order to go near their other protégé, examining them with curiosity.

"Oh! Um… Levi made them, actually."

"You did? That's awesome!" They practically yelled while facing towards the short teenager, who was busy straightening his clothes. "Did Kuchel teach you how to sew?"

"Yeah." Levi replied curtly, a small hint of pride shining in his eyes. "I wanted to be able to fix my own clothes, and not have to ask her all the time I needed to adjust them."

"Adjust as in… shorten?" Eren tried tentatively, and knew he had hit the nail when he saw his friend wince slightly, realizing his mistake. "You're that short that you need to shorten your pants or your shirts for them to fit?" He laughed very hard for the second time of the day under the murderous glare of the raven.

"Fuck you. Remind me who need custom-made clothes?" Levi spat out angrily.

"Okay, okay. Fair." Eren managed to reply between two fits of laughter, wiping tears out of his eyes. "But unlike you, this is temporary."

Levi sent him another death glare while crossing his arms, annoyed to be mocked by two persons at the same time – Hanji having joined Eren in his laughter.

**XxxxXxxxX**

It was now Wednesday and Eren was looking absent-mindedly at the window, watching droplets of rain falling outside. It had started raining the night between Monday and Tuesday, and hadn't stopped since then. Sometimes it was pouring, sometimes it was just light rain, but it was always falling. The weather had forced them to stay inside and was preventing them to go outside look at the place Hanji had told them about.

The place was situated outside the village, in the forest, and not far from a stream. Going outside by such a weather wasn't really pleasant, but there was also a high risk of the stream flooding and rendering the path impassable, and the forest might also be very muddy. They were therefore once again forced to wait, at least until the weather got better.

Eren knew it was common to rain at this time of the year, but it still annoyed him to no end. He wanted to go to the place and know if it was finally his chance to get back to normal or if they had to search for something else again. They were wasting time, or more so, losing some. His mother was starting to pressure him into coming home and Zeke had let him know that she was on the verge of coming to Trost to retrieve him, which was very bad news for him.

The sound of bones popping caught his attention and he turned towards Levi, who had stopped studying and was stretching himself. The raven looked at him when he sensed Eren's gaze directed at him, and immediately looked away.

Levi had acted a bit strangely ever since they had gotten back from Hanji's on Monday evening, but Eren had no idea why he was. His thoughts were too jumbled to try to decipher his friend's behavior, so he had given up the moment he had noticed it. But sometimes Levi would act strangely again, and it would come back to the forefront of his mind.

They haven't talked much the past few days, with Levi being busy with school or studying, and Eren being lost in his thoughts. They weren't even arguing, which had been the case more than once in the past week now. It was almost as if Levi was avoiding talking to him altogether, or when he started, he would go back to being silent as quickly. The silence was a bit unsettling, but Eren had other concerns and thus didn't try to pry or keep the conversation going.

That was why it surprised him when Levi suddenly started a conversation.

"It should stop raining tonight."

"Oh." Eren didn't really know what to say, but since Levi had made an effort, he tried anyway. "So, you think we can go tomorrow?"

"Yeah. The sooner, the better, right?" Levi wasn't even looking at him while talking, which was unusual for him.

"Yeah, soon is good…"

A heavy silence enveloped them once again before Levi finally turned towards Eren, looking at him straight in the eye, his arms crossed in front of his chest and his head tilted to the side.

"Do you believe what Hanji told us?"

"About what?" Eren preferred to ask, afraid of confusing what they had told him to what they had told the both of them.

"Do you think we are going to find anything there? It's just-" Levi cut himself to let out a short sigh, closing his eyes for a second before opening them again. He looked tired and preoccupied. "It's just a lot of coincidences, and everything seems… _Fishy_."

"I do." Eren eventually replied, surprised by the confidence he had heard in his own voice. "I don't know what we're going to find, but I believe them." As Levi only looked at him with a pointed gaze, he eventually asked: "Do you?"

"I don't know. I just… I don't know." The raven looked away once more and rubbed his forehead with his fingers, looking even more tired. "But I said I would help you get back to normal, and I will."

Eren wanted to ask him why he would, why he was willing to help him until the end, but the words died in his throat and he just stood there, his mouth open, looking at the black-haired teenager pick up his pencil and go back to his occupation.

And as he watched him write and study, he couldn't help thinking about what would happen once he would return back to normal. Would they still talk and see each other? Was it a temporary truce or was their relationship on its way to recovery?

Eren had no idea what would happen then, but he knew one thing: he wanted to stay by Levi's side even when this would be over.


	8. Chapter 8

The sun was shining bright when Eren woke up the following day, the sky a clear blue with only a few white clouds here and there, but nothing like the menacing grey ones he had seen the previous day. He had had a restless night, turning and tossing around in his too soft bed, his head ready to explode with all the thoughts that were plaguing his mind. It was still early though, the time Levi was getting ready for school, so he would have plenty of time to take a nap once he would be alone if necessary, before Levi would be back. Somehow, still, he knew without having tried yet that he wouldn't be able to sleep more.

Today, the sun was shining. Today, it wasn't raining. Which meant today, they could finally go to the forest, and that alone was enough to make Eren nervous and fidgety.

He watched Levi silently preparing his bag for the day, watching his every movement as if he was moving in slow motion, grabbing his attention in a way he couldn't explain. His mind was still thick with sleep, and he didn't have anything in particular he could do while waiting for Levi to leave him on the desk before leaving. So, he just watched, noticing the way Levi's bangs fell in front of his eyes every time he bent down to put something inside his bag on his desk chair, the rest of his hair neatly placed behind his ears, giving a glimpse of his undercut. Or the way his white shirt was carefully tucked inside his dark pants, which was hugging his hips just the right way and stopping exactly at his ankles.

"I'll be back around three." Levi said once he had put Eren down on the desk for the day.

The brunet was still in a daze when he watched Levi closing the door behind him, leaving him alone for most of the day. His face became suddenly hot as he realized he had been ogling at Levi and as he remembered his conversation with Hanji. They had really messed with his head, and now it seemed like he couldn't look away from the raven. Damn them.

He slapped both of his cheeks twice, trying to ward off his unwanted thoughts and refocus on most important ones, like what would happen today. They might be able to find more answers where they would go, and that was enough to bring a small smile on his lips and forget the rest of his worries.

The day ended up being both long and short.

As usual, with nothing to do, Eren spent most of the day dazing out or playing on his phone. He had a pretty long conversation with his brother, explaining to him what was currently going on and his hope of going back to normal soon. Zeke didn't hide his concerns towards the elongated time of his condition but also showed a lot of enthusiasm for the news Eren delivered. The brunet knew his brother was really worrying about him, and it felt nice to have someone to talk to about it, outside of Levi and Hanji. He wished he could talk about it with his mother too. He missed her and was getting tired of lying to her.

_Soon_, he thought. _I'll see her again soon and put an end to all those lies._

Eren only realized Levi was home when he heard him open the door and saw him looking at him with tired looking eyes. He understood he had been staring when the raven raised an eyebrow at him in a silent question and quickly adverted his eyes. He had just been surprised he hadn't heard the front door opening, or the sound of Levi's footsteps in the staircase. To be honest, he also hadn't realized it was already time for him to come back home.

"Give me five minutes."

Eren only nodded, knowing Levi wanted to change before going out, especially if there were going to go into the woods and in a potential dirty environment. He had become used to Levi's habits now that he had stayed with him for almost two weeks, though they didn't differ that much from before, but witnessing them closely and every day was in a way different. It was almost as if he could predict everything he would do the minute he passed the threshold of his house.

Go up into his room, put his bag on his chair and sort the materials he would need to work on later during the evening, grab clean clothes and go into the bathroom, sometimes take a shower or just clean himself quickly before changing, drink a glass of water and then go to the toilet, go back to his room to put the rings around his neck, and then extend his hand near the desk so that Eren could settle inside his pocket.

"Ready?"

Levi exited the room the moment Eren gave him an affirmative answer.

**XxxxXxxxX**

After a twenty-minute walk, Levi deemed it safe for Eren to poke his head out of the pocket and let him look around instead of being completely bend in half in order to hide. Once able to see their surroundings, the brunet realized they were already inside the woods, west from the town. He had only gone there a few times as a kid, on one of their many adventures, but hadn't been back since then. There weren't much to see inside the forest, and the lack of clear, defined paths didn't make it a top choice for having a nice walk in the nature. Furthermore, it was at the opposite side of the town compared to his house.

They advanced through the forest in relative silence, only birds chirping, the wind ruffling through the leaves and the sound of grass and wood crunching under Levi's shoes breaking it. The smell of rain was still fresh in the air even though it had been sunny the whole day, especially the smell of damp grass and soil.

From time to time, Levi would pull his phone out to check their location and the way to their destination before putting it back inside the back pocket of his jean. Hanji had shown them on a map where they should head to, trying to describe the surrounding to them as best as they could considering it was in the middle of a forest with not very noticeable things except for _trees_. But the stream had ended up being a good landmark, and Hanji had informed them they would know they were at the right place once they would be. Apparently, at the exact place the Captain had died was a very old stone stele with his name engraved on it – though in a language they wouldn't be able to read.

Eren kept his eyes open for it, looking left and right to find it even though he knew they weren't close to the location yet. He was just growing more and more impatient by the minute, jiggling from nervousness in Levi's front pocket. In fact, he was squirming so much that eventually the raven called him out of it, irritation evident in his voice.

"Would you stop moving for a minute? It's annoying."

"Sorry." Eren replied in a low voice, stopping all movements and grabbing rather strongly the edge of the pocket. "I'm just… nervous. And excited. Even if I know there's a chance we'll find nothing there."

"Let's leave that for when we actually get there."

"Yeah, you're right. I just- I want this to be over, you know?" He fixed an invisible point in front of him, letting himself being lulled by the rhythm of Levi's pace, trying to calm the storm of his thoughts threatening to break loose once more.

"Yeah." Levi simply replied, his voice thick with an emotion Eren couldn't identify which left him confused for a few seconds.

Silence enveloped them once more, and Eren could feel the awkwardness starting to rise inside of him, seizing his chest and forcing him to take deep and long breaths to make the feeling go away. He tried to concentrate on his task once more, this time knowing they were getting closer, and opened his eyes wide when he saw a small rock – small because it was still far away – out of the corner of his eye.

"Hey, before I came by on Monday, what were you and Hanji talking a-"

Eren cut him without having really heard what Levi was saying, enthusiast to share what he had seen:

"Levi, look! Over there!"

Levi looked in the direction Eren had pointed, and after letting him know he had seen it, started walking again. Everything after that happened quite fast and Eren was actually confused about the sequence of events, everything a huge blur in his memories. One second he could see the stele becoming closer as Levi was walking towards it, the next he was looking at the blue sky partly hidden behind the crown cover of trees as he could feel Levi's body falling sideways – and him with it.

His immediate reaction had been to hide inside the pocket while holding on to it and close his eyes, waiting for whatever was happening to stop. It was only when he could feel like they weren't moving anymore that he reluctantly opened his eyes to assess the situation around him.

He could feel like they were in a horizontal position instead of a vertical one. He got out of the pocket on all fours, holding on to the fabric of Levi's shirt for stabilization since his legs felt like jelly, result of the rush of adrenaline he had experienced seconds ago. It was when he finally realized what had actually happened and his whole body went cold.

Levi was lying on his back, his face slightly turned to the side, his eyes closed and his mouth open just a little. The stream was a few meters away from them and when he looked up, he could see the place they had been standing in mere minutes ago, which seemed so far away now.

They had fallen. The ground underneath Levi's feet had slid and they had both fallen down the hill. Or more accurately, Levi had. Eren, on his side, had been rather safe inside the pocket. And by the way Levi's hand wasn't far from it, it hadn't been the only thing protecting him during the fall.

"Levi?"

Eren tried to call out but his voice was hoarse, making him realize how much his throat was dry. He tried to swallow a few times and cough in order to appease the uneasy sensation, and looked over at his friend. Levi hadn't moved a millimeter since Eren had gather his thoughts and looked at him. He looked like he was sleeping, and that couldn't be good. He should have been awake. He should have heard him and replied.

A heavy feeling made him sick to his stomach and he tried again, in a louder voice:

"Levi?"

He still didn't move, and Eren was starting to get really worried. This couldn't be happening. One moment they were fine, they had found what they were looking for, and the next they were in this situation. This day was supposed to be a good one, the one when Eren would finally return to normal and go back home. It wasn't supposed to end up with one of them hurt. Especially not Levi.

"Levi!"

Eren was practically yelling at this point, his voice broken and filled with dread and worry. He punctuated his words with a few pangs on Levi's chest to make him react, to get him out of whatever haze he was in and get his attention, but it didn't work. Everything around him felt way too silent all of the sudden and something he would rather not think about came to his mind.

Was Levi even breathing?

Panic overtook him and he suddenly ran towards the raven's face, falling on his hands first when he tried to stand up but eventually ignoring the numb feeling in his legs for the sake of the urgency that was crawling inside every cell of his body. As he reached his chin, he quickly pulled a hand over his mouth and his shoulder instantly relaxed when he felt Levi's breath tickling his skin.

_He is breathing._

Eren took long breaths to try to calm himself, repeating in his head those three words to try to relax and ease the panic he had felt, but it wasn't working in the slightest. He could feel his hands shaking as he ran them in his hair, other thoughts creeping into his mind at the speed of light. Why was Levi unconscious? Was he hurt somewhere? Had he hit his head while falling? He didn't want to think of the worst, but while Levi was breathing, it was too slow and shallow to mean anything good. One hand on the pulse point of his throat confirmed his doubts. His heartbeat was also slow.

If it had been any other situation, Eren would have known what to do. His father was a doctor and had taught him the basics of first aid and what to do if someone was in a bad situation. Make sure there weren't any more danger and protect the injured person from further harm, provide first aid treatment, and most of all, call for help. But there was hardly anything Eren could do with his size. He couldn't look at Levi's body efficiently to see if he had any injuries, he couldn't move him in a better position nor could he call for anybody. He could have used Levi's phone, but it was in the back pocket of his pants, so out of reach for him.

Tears started welling up in his eyes and slowly ran down his cheeks. He just felt so powerless and useless. He couldn't even help Levi while he was in danger when all the raven had done the past few days had been helping him. Hell, he had even tried to protect him just a few minutes ago when they fell! But Eren, on his side, couldn't. He couldn't help him. He couldn't protect him. All he was good for was wait and cry out of both frustration and dread.

Something light up in his mind when the thought crossed his mind. No, he wouldn't wait. He was tired of waiting. It was all he had been doing the last few days and he was sick of it. He wasn't going to just sit there and hope Levi would wake up without doing anything. He would do his hardest to help him, even if it was only just a little. It was better than doing nothing. Besides, it wasn't like him at all to give up so fast.

Clenching his fists as hard as he could to ward off his negative thoughts, he started yelling as loud as he could for help, hoping someone would hear him and come rescue them. Someone else seeing his condition was the last thing on his mind right now, as well as the stretch he could feel in his throat for yelling too much. But after a few minutes, Eren realized the chances of someone passing by were very minim since they were deep inside the forest. Instead, he turned his attention back to Levi again, who still hadn't moved. He checked once more his breathing and pulse, and then started slapping his face as hard as he could.

"Come one, wake up! Levi, wake up!"

That too didn't work. Maybe it was because he had the strength of a newborn with his size, or maybe because Levi was too far gone for Eren's little flicks to wake him up. He didn't dwell on the why, and continued hitting him as hard as he could in order to make him react.

At some point, Eren had no idea how much time had passed by, but he could see the sun setting and the sky turning a shade of orange and pink. He had spent the last hour – two hours? – alternating between screaming at the top of his lungs for help and slapping Levi's face to wake him up, while checking in between his pulse and breathing.

He had stopped for now, looking at the horizon and the changing sky, completely drained out of his energy. The sun setting meant the night was coming, and the night coming meant a drop in the temperature. He could already fill the chill in the air and got goosebumps when a soft breeze passed over them.

What was going to happen to them when the night would fall? How long would it take for someone to realize Levi might be in trouble and for people to go look for him? Would Levi even survive the night if it ended up being the next morning?

A new stream of tears fell down his cheeks and on the raven's chest. Everything was his fault. If he hadn't run away that night because of his temper, if he had turned around to go back to his house instead of going into the cave when the storm arrived, none of this would have happen. He wouldn't have shrunk, Levi wouldn't have gone to great lengths to help him, they wouldn't be inside the forest. Levi wouldn't be lying unconscious in the middle of nowhere. He was the reason why all of this had happened.

And yet, he couldn't seem to regret everything, because no matter how hard it had been for him the last two weeks, he had spent it with Levi. Hanji was right, it hadn't really been lost time. It had allowed him to take up with Levi again, and that was all he had ever wanted the last three years. Granted, everything was still a bit awkward and tense between them, but it was a beginning. It was better than silence and getting the cold shoulder.

It had also allowed him to realize how he felt about their relationship, and more particularly, about Levi. He would still deny it if anyone asked, but he knew it wouldn't erase what he really felt. But what was the point of realizing all of this if it ended up like that in the end? What was the point of him shrinking, of him spending time with Levi, of him learning the truth about their situation and Hanji's, if it was for Levi to never wake up?

A choked sob got out of his mouth and Eren looked over the peaceful face of the person he wanted to be with more than anything else. He was forced to rub at his eyes when his vision turned blurry in order to chase the tears away.

"Wake up, _please_."

He was so tired right now. His hands hurt of hitting Levi too much, his throat hurt of yelling too much, his eyes hurt of crying too much, and his chest hurt for thinking of the worst. He was starting to get cold too, sleep catching up to him, and he forced his legs to support his weight one last time in order to walk towards the front pocket. He sat down once near it and quickly lied down, a hand on Levi's chest to feel his slow but present heartbeat.

Light reflecting on metal caught his attention, and he realized the rings were not far from him – they had probably come out of underneath Levi's shirt when they had fallen. He looked at them for a few minutes, concentrating on the rhythmic beat he could hear from having his head placed on the teenager's chest, before eventually coming back to a sitting position, his eyes never once leaving the blue ring. Looking at the wedding bands made the story of the Captain and the Titan Shifter come back to the forefront of his mind, and he automatically reached out to the ring and hugged it with all his might, a single tear falling from his chin.

"Please don't die. Don't leave me alone."


	9. Chapter 9

The moment Eren gripped the blue ring and brought it against his body, holding on to it like a drowning man to a life preserver, his vision turned blurry and he suddenly found himself out of breath. He tried to close his eyes to ward off the dizzy feeling which had overtaken him quickly but it only grew worse until it was replaced by an eerie sensation of floating.

The next second, Eren felt like he was falling head first from a hill, but also as if he was waking up from a very long and tiring dream. His breath was cut from the impact and his eyes remained painfully closed from the dizziness he was still experiencing. He could feel soil under his hands, grass rubbing his knees and hair tickling his cheek. It took him maybe five minutes to recover from the shock and come to the realization that it had finally happened.

He was _him_ again.

It hadn't felt like anything magical, more like fainting and waking up, and it had happened way too fast and too suddenly for him to dwell on it. It had been what he had been waiting for the last two weeks, but in this moment, it didn't matter. All he cared about right this instant was that, now, he was the right size to make sure Levi was alright and to help him. It was the only thing on his mind.

"Heavy…" A small and deep voice murmured in his ear.

Eren immediately straightened from his position near Levi's neck and looked at the raven, whose face was contorted in discomfort. His eyes were still closed but he was moving. He was talking. He was _alive_.

"Levi! Oh my god, you're alive!" He was straddling Levi's waist, his hands on both side of the raven's head, and tried to catch his gaze the moment he opened his eyes. His were probably full of worry and relief, but he still felt anxious. "Are you okay?"

At his voice, Levi looked up at him, squinting his eyes and looking all over his face and body in confusion. He opened his mouth but closed it a moment later, probably still a bit stunned from what had happened to him. Eren waited patiently for him to reply, worrying at his bottom lip while trying to calm himself down. He couldn't break down again. Not now that Levi was conscious and needed his help.

"Eren? Are you…?" His voice was hesitant and hoarse. Eren gave him a small smile to try to reassure him.

"Yeah, seems like I turned back to normal. No idea why, but it doesn't matter."

"…Naked?" Levi finished his earlier question and Eren gaped at him, not sure he had heard him right. He then looked back at himself and noticed that yes, apparently, he was naked. On top of Levi. _Great_.

"Seriously, Levi?! That's all you have to say after what happened?! I can't believe you!"

He tried to calm down his raging heartbeat and could feel his cheeks becoming burning hot. Why had he been worried a few moments ago again?

"You're right…" Eren sighed in relief, closing his eyes for a moment. He shouldn't be angry at Levi. He was probably still confused and needed time to wake up fully. "It's not tiny at all."

His eyes shot back open immediately and followed Levi's gaze, realizing what he was looking at and what he had meant, and became even more red than was humanly possible, both in embarrassment and frustration.

"Are you freaking kidding me?! Why are you looking there?!"

His voice was surprisingly high pitched all of the sudden and he had let out some kind of squeal which had weirdly sounded like a dying animal, but he didn't care. He tried desperately to get away from his position and hide himself as much as he could, but all he had to do so were his hands. His head was hanging low, trying to avoid to look into his friend's scrutinizing gaze, when he felt something fall on his lap, doing a better job at hiding his private parts than his hands. Levi's jacket.

"There. Better?"

Eren gaped at the cloth for a few seconds before looking back up at Levi. He was sitting, his hands behind him to support his weight, looking to the side with a faint blush on his cheeks. Maybe he had realized what he had said and done, and was now embarrassed about it? Eren placed the jacket better on his lap and a bit up to hide his navel and cleared his throat loudly, trying to ward off the awkwardness creeping in between the both of them.

"Yeah… Thanks."

There was a moment of silence while the both of them avoided looking at the other until Eren started shaking because of the cold. Levi looked at him when he felt it, Eren now sitting further on his tights compared to before, and silently removed his shirt, offering it to the brunet. The shivering boy tried to refuse it, not wanting Levi to get cold because of him. The raven argued that he still had an undershirt on so it wasn't a big deal, and after a few minutes, Eren caved in and put the offered shirt on his shoulders. Warmth instantly started flooding through his body, but it wasn't entirely due to the new piece of clothing on his naked body.

"What happened?" Levi eventually asked, his eyes looking around them to try to assess the situation. "I remember asking you something and then…"

Eren sensed his hesitation and filled the blanks for him:

"We fell. You were unconscious for…" He paused, trying to think about it. "I don't know, two hours? I tried to wake you up, but it didn't work. I tried calling for help too. And… I'm not really sure what happened for me to…" He let his sentence hanging, knowing he didn't have to finish it for Levi to understand.

"Oh…" It was silent for a while, probably the time Levi needed to absorb every piece of information the teenager had given him. "Well, at least you're back to normal now. That's… good."

"Yeah…" Eren had no idea why Levi had hesitated, but shrug it off. The atmosphere surrounding them was still awkward and it was hard for him to look at the raven's face.

"Were you crying?"

"Fuck off! Why would I?" He self-consciously rubbed his eyes, trying to get rid of any evidence, but Levi had probably seen the redness around them.

"Maybe because you don't hate me, _lover boy_?"

The way Levi dragged on the pet name Hanji had given him to make fun of him made his whole-body freeze and his face flush once again. Any awkwardness he had felt a few seconds ago was suddenly multiplied and mixed with as much embarrassment. All he wanted to do was crawl in a hole and hide. He felt mortified.

"Wha- What the hell!? You were listening?!" How much had he heard? How long had he been standing at the other side of the door and listening to their conversation? How much did he _know_?

"Kind of. Seemed like a serious conversation, I didn't want to intrude." Levi shrugged it off like he hadn't done anything wrong. Why was he so chatty all the sudden? Was it some near-death experience kind of thing? "By the way, I don't hate you. And I didn't help you out of pity."

Levi was looking straight at him with a serious glint in his eyes and Eren swallowed anxiously. Their conversation felt surreal. Just this morning, he had thought Levi was trying to avoid talking to him unless necessary, and now he was debiting embarrassing things and was being honest with him.

"Uh… O-okay. Um…"

"I'm the one who supposedly hit his head, you know." Levi teased him with a smirk, probably amused by his eloquence.

"Shut up! You know I can't read between lines half of the time! If you have something to tell me, just say it clearly!" Eren practically yelled, the warmth in his cheeks not leaving anytime soon.

"I know." Was Levi's only answer, while looking away at the horizon, a wistful smile on his lips.

It was definitely the weirdest conversation he had had the past few days, even counting the one he had with Hanji. It almost felt like the Levi he used to know was suddenly back and he couldn't help but smile a little himself too. He shifted a bit from his position, sensing his legs getting numb and didn't miss the pained look that crossed Levi's features.

"Shit! Are you hurt? I didn't even check, I'm sorry!"

"It's fine, it's just… I think I twisted my left ankle, or broke it."

Eren immediately got off from Levi's legs and started looking at his ankle, checking if it was swollen or not, and how much mobility Levi had while moving it without hurting. _Yep_, he thought, _probably a sprain_. He wasn't an expert but had had many of those before and it didn't seem like a bone was broken. He was hoping to be right since a fracture would take more time to heal than a sprain.

"Eren…" The brunet stopped inspecting his ankle and looked over at Levi, a questioning look on his face. "Do you really believe in reincarnation?" His voice was unsure and nervous.

Eren looked at him for a few minutes, observing Levi's profile while thinking his question over in his head. It almost felt the same as when Levi had asked him if he believed in what Hanji had said on Monday. And maybe that was what he had truly meant to ask, considering he had heard them talking about it. Everything made sense now.

"I don't know." He softly replied back. Levi turned his head to look at him, his eyes betraying his curiosity and confusion. "I mean, for Hanji? Yeah, sure, that would explain a lot of stuff. But for us? I'm not sure. And honestly, I don't really care."

Levi took an intake of breath before asking: "What do you mean?"

"Well, it's not like we're going to remember anything anyway, from what they told me. And I'm not sure I want to anyway. That was them, and this is us."

Levi smiled at him and Eren's heart soared. It was a genuine and soft smile, one of the kinds he hadn't seen on his friend's face in a few years now. The one which reached his eyes and made them slightly shine.

"You're right, we're not them. I want to believe we make our own choices, decide our own lives, and I don't want to have regrets. Not anymore."

"Not anymore?" Eren asked, confused. Was there something Levi regretted?

"You're really oblivious sometimes, it hurts just to look at you." Levi sighed rather loudly, seeming exasperated.

Eren was on the verge of replying back, frustrated to be insulted like this since he had done nothing wrong, when Levi suddenly grabbed him by his shoulders and brought him forward to his chest, encircling him with his arms. The brunet just yelped in surprise, not expecting him to do such a thing and confused with the sudden development. It wasn't as if he hated it, it actually felt quite nice feeling Levi's chest against him other than with his small body and tiny hands. He just wasn't sure how to react and what Levi was trying to achieve.

"W-what!?" His brain was starting to overheat from thinking too much and he heard Levi cliqued his tongue, annoyed.

"I really have to spell it out for you, geez. You can't take a hint."

His breathing stopped and he felt the rest of his body burning from both the realization and the physical contact. He was about to put his hands on Levi's back when he suddenly heard a familiar voice which made the both of them jump in surprise and look at each other, eyes as wide as saucers.

"Levi? Eren?"

_Hanji_. It was Hanji's voice. Someone was coming to help them. Eren silently thanked them because even with him back at his normal size, they were still at the bottom of a hill, Eren sort-of naked and Levi with a sprained ankle. They wouldn't have been able to get out of this situation by themselves even if they had wanted to, or it would have taken them a lot of time, which they hadn't, since the sun was completely set by now.

"My sweet cutie pies? Are you there?" Hanji asked once more. Eren could see some light, probably from a flashlight, and sighed in relief.

"Over here!"

It took only a few minutes for Hanji to find the two teenagers, almost blinding them with the light they directed at them. They seemed relieved to find the both of them, and also happy to see Eren back to normal. They quickly told them they would go search for a rope or people to help, along with clothes for Eren. As they left, they asked them not to move, and Eren snickered when Levi replied that it wasn't as if they could go anywhere in their situation.

The two teenagers both looked at each other, a small smile on their lips and a bit of pink coloring their cheeks, remembering what Hanji had interrupted. Eren scratched his neck nervously, not really knowing what to say or do, until Levi removed the chain from around his neck and put the two wedding bands in his hands.

Right, the rings. Eren had almost forgotten about them.

"What are we supposed to do with them now? Give them back to Hanji?" Levi asked.

"Or we could keep them, as a souvenir." Eren replied with another smile. He had a feeling everything that had happened the past two weeks had been related to them and he wouldn't mind keeping them.

"Then I believe this is for you."

Levi took the green ring between his fingers and held it out for Eren to take. Eren shook his head with a bigger smile on his face, an idea passing through his mind. They had it all wrong since the beginning. Now he understood why Hanji had asked him which ring he had held back in the cave. It was the mystery they hadn't been able to solve.

"No, this one is for you."

He took the ring from Levi's hand and slowly put it on Levi's left hand. It fit perfectly and it brought another smile to his face, which faded once he saw Levi looking at him with a dumbfounded expression, confused with his actions. The brunet put his fingers away from Levi's hand, blushing now furiously and looking away in embarrassment, but Levi didn't let him go that easily and in turn took Eren's left hand to put the blue ring on his finger. It was also a perfect fit.

Levi didn't ask him anything, just looked at the ring on Eren's finger while smiling softly. It was actually obvious now that he took time to think about it. It was wedding bands, so of course they had engraved the initials of their partner on it, and not theirs. Maybe Levi had thought the same thing, and that was why he was silent now. It still felt weird though, exchanging rings like this – _wedding_ rings – when they were still tiptoeing around each other and their feelings.

"I can't believe I put a ring on your finger before even kissing you."

Levi eventually said, and Eren's heart almost jumped out of his chest. Guess he would have to get used to Levi being bluntly straightforward once again. He had missed it, to be honest. It didn't mean the raven wasn't nervous about what he had said, though. When Eren looked up at him, he could see it in his eyes and his posture that he was waiting for him to do something. He had taken the first step, all Eren needed to do now was meet him halfway. Like Levi had told earlier, he didn't want to have any regrets. They could both agree on that.

"Are you going to do something about it, then?"

Eren replied cockily but with a shy smile on his face. He was trying to put his embarrassment aside and stop denying his feelings. He wanted this. Levi wanted this too. There was no need for them to hold back. They had waited enough as it was.

Levi smiled at him in return, getting the hint Eren had sent him, and put a hand on the brunet's cheek, gently stroking it with his thumb. His hand was shaking a little, Eren could feel it, but he was pretty sure his were too. They had no idea what they were doing. It would be the first time for the both of them, so they couldn't rely on any past experience. They therefore just went out with the flow, with what felt right for them in that moment.

Eren put a hand over Levi's on his cheek, his smile widening before turning more tender and fonder. He put his other hand on Levi's neck, scratching his undercut and bringing his face closer to his. Levi's other hand came on his other cheek as their forehead touched and they both looked into each other's eyes. There was no denying how nervous they felt, but there was also anticipation in their eyes. They both wanted it to happen. They were both ready.

When Levi's lips came in contact with his, Eren's heart was hammering in his ears and it was the only thing he could hear. They were a bit chapped, but as they moved awkwardly against his own, it just felt _right_. It didn't last very long, they were soon breathing heavily into each other's mouth, their forehead and nose touching. It was like the rest of the world had disappeared and had been reduced to only them, sitting in a forest, looking into each other's eyes.

It wasn't long before their lips locked in another kiss, and another. They were both a bit clumsy and it was pretty obvious they didn't really know what to do, but it didn't matter. As cliché as it sounded, Eren could feel butterflies flying in his stomach and he couldn't keep his eyes open for too long between each kiss. Every time they pulled apart, he felt compelled to find Levi's lips again. It was like magnets being pulled apart by force, whose only purpose was to be reunited again.

They kissed for a few minutes, softly and slowly, nothing more than lips locking together over and over again. Neither of them tried to cross the boundaries to explore their partner's mouth, but they were content with it. There was no need to rush things. They both knew they would have time for that later. This was only the beginning, and for now they were satisfied with what they were given and giving.

They eventually stopped, their hands both fisted in the other's hair, their forehead touching in order to be apart yet not too far from each other, and an awestruck expression on their face. Eren felt lightheaded with what had just happened and also completely delighted. He took Levi in his arms, pressing his face into his hair and smiled when he felt the raven hug him back. This also felt surreal but it was a good kind of surreal. One he wouldn't mind experiencing every day from now on. He hadn't felt this happy in years and it felt really _really_ good. He never wanted this feeling to go away.

"So… What now?" Eren asked after minutes of comfortable silence.

"Hmm?" Levi nuzzled further in his neck and Eren laughed quietly at his action.

"Does this mean we're together?" It had sounded stupid even in his own head, but he needed to ask.

"Obviously."

"Good." Eren nuzzled his hair in return, pleased, but there was still something restless inside of him. "What about what Hanji told us?"

"About? You mean the reincarnation thing?" Eren nodded. Levi tried to wiggle out of Eren's embrace to look at him in the eye. "Listen, Eren. I do things because I want to do them, not because of some bullshit soulmate story."

Eren smiled sadly, which earned him a frown from his boyfriend – damn, he didn't know if he would get used to this word.

"So, you won't stop talking to me because of stupid reasons again?"

"It wasn't-" Levi cut himself and brush Eren's lips with his thumb, trying to take the sadness away from them. "Yeah. I won't. Even if we have to argue and yell at each other, I will keep talking to you. Like I said, I don't want to have any more regrets."

"Me neither." His smile lost the sorrow it had held a few minutes ago and turned genuine again. "I don't want to think of what ifs. I'm done with that. So don't ever push me away again."

"I promise."

They both looked at each other in silence for a few minutes before going back to their previous position, needing to feel the other in their arms. The night had gotten cold, but still Eren felt warm like he hadn't felt in a long time. It had been dark since a while ago, but the moon was shining bright and giving them the perfect lightning to still see their surroundings, and more importantly, each other.

Eren wasn't thinking about what would happen to them, there was no need to. They would figure things out as they went, together. They were still in high school after all, they had a lot of time ahead of them. And now, they knew they would spend it together. They had been apart for a while and it hadn't ended up well for either of them. So now, instead, they would face life and its many challenges together, like they had done ever since Levi had found Eren in that cave. It had been a major turning point in both of their life, and as Eren stroked the ring on his finger, he couldn't seem to regret any of it.

_Yeah. The last thirteen days hadn't been so bad_, Eren thought.


	10. Epilogue

"I should be done in… let's say… four to five days? I still have a few drawings to do, and I think it's better to see each other before I put the colors on and all. You know, in case I need to change anything. Yeah… Okay, sure! See ya!"

Eren hung up the phone and stretched from his desk chair, feeling a few bones pop because of the bent position he had been in for the last few hours. It was always like this when he was drawing. He would get lost in his own world and forget the one around him, to the point he wouldn't even realize his back hurt before he stopped to take a break.

His lips curved into a smile, feeling proud of the progress he had made so far and looking forward to his next meeting with Armin. He was one of his best friends since they had met in art school and was also the co-author of his illustration book, _Attack on Titan_. Or should he say _books_, since they were now working on the third volume. They had worked on the first one during their school years, and had been allowed to publish another one thanks to its success. They were a really good team, with Eren drawing the illustrations and Armin writing the text parts.

Nothing would have made Eren happier than publishing these books. It had been one of his childhood dreams, and being able to spread the story he had grown up with to others made him feel delighted. It was, after all, part of his story, even if he recalled nothing of it. He still stood with what he had said to Levi seven years ago: he didn't really care not remembering. He was content with what he had.

The soft click of a door being opened drew him out of his daze and a huge smile appeared on his face. Correction to what he had been thinking earlier: this, was what made him the happiest. Having a wonderful partner to share his daily life with, seeing his face every day and waking up next to him in the morning. It was the best thing in his life right now and there wasn't a day he didn't thank his lucky star to have been blessed like he was.

"Levi! Welcome home!"

Eren stood up from his chair and excitedly made a beeline for the entrance in order to welcome properly his boyfriend. They had started living together right after they graduated from their respective schools in Trost, and ever since, embracing his lover the moment he got home was his favorite part of the day. Or waking up next to him. Or cuddling on the couch. Or… Well, okay, he had a lot of share moments with Levi he appreciated, probably all of them, but who cared? He was happy.

"Hey, babe! Sorry, I'm late today."

The brunet laughed quietly at that. It wasn't like he had noticed Levi being late anyway since he had been engrossed in his work, but it was a habit the raven had. Even if he was five minutes late, he would apologize. But Eren didn't really mind, it always put a grin on his face from the obvious care his boyfriend was showing when apologizing for such a petty thing.

His smile disappeared instantly the moment he saw the state Levi was in. His black hair was slick with water and sticking to his forehead, and his clothes had dark patches almost everywhere, especially on his legs and shoulders.

Eren watched his boyfriend removing his shoes and coat without moving an inch, still surprised by his appearance, when he heard the sound of heavy rain hitting the windows. How come he hadn't noticed the weather before with how loud it was?

"What happened to you!? You're completely drenched!"

Eren finally broke off his staring and rushed to take a towel from the bathroom to try to dry his shivering boyfriend. He started with his hair, still trying to figure out in his head what had happened. Technically speaking, there was no reason for Levi to be wet like this. The office he worked in had an underground parking, as well as the building they were living in. There was no reason for him to go outside, especially in this weather, if it were for him just going home.

"I had somewhere to go on my way home." Levi answered his question.

"What's so important for you to go out in this weather?" Eren asked exasperated, but only because he was worried.

"You." Levi had spoken so quietly Eren wasn't even sure he had heard him right.

"What?"

Eren had stopped rubbing the raven's hair, confused, and Levi removed his hands gently to let the towel fall on his shoulders. He looked straight into his green eyes, a serious expression on his face, and Eren's heart stopped for a second. He had absolutely no idea what was going on or passing through his lover's head, and his confusion increased when the latter took both of his hands with his.

"Eren…" Levi started before stopping, and Eren swallowed nervously but didn't interrupt him, waiting for him to continue. "I have something important to tell you… Will you listen to it?"

His nervousness grew even more with the raven's words, but he tried to ward off his concerns in order to nod, letting him know he could go on. It took Levi a few minutes to collect himself before speaking again.

"Ten years ago, I made a mistake and pushed you away. There was not a day since then when I haven't blamed myself for this and regretted it. I was a stupid and immature kid, who was trying to run away from his feelings, and I'm still sorry I hurt you that way."

"Levi-" He was immediately cut off, Levi letting him know he wasn't done yet and asking him to let him finish.

"That day, when you went missing… I know it's stupid and probably self-centered, but I blamed myself for it. I thought that maybe if I hadn't stopped talking to you, this wouldn't have happened. I was so worried about you. I went out looking for you because it was the only way for me to ease my guilt and make it up to you. And when I saw your clothes on the ground, I…"

Levi stopped, looking down for a second before staring back again at Eren when he squeezed his hands in comfort, in a silent way to let him know he could take his time and go on when he was ready. The raven returned his soft smile and cleared his throat before speaking once more:

"I thought I was too late and realized what a fool I had been. I realized I didn't want to be apart from you anymore, that I wanted to talk to you again, and I promised myself to do it if you ever came back. And then, I found you. It wasn't exactly how I had pictured our reunion, but at least you were there, alive, and you needed help. I saw that as my chance to make it up to you and I swore to myself I would do my best to get you back to normal.

"Then we spent all this time together, but I had no idea how to act around you anymore. As much as I had claimed you hadn't changed, you had, and it terrified me. I realized how much time we had spent apart and how all of it was my fault. I didn't know how to tell you the truth and I was scared of your reaction if I told you how I felt. But then…"

"You fell." Eren said in a whisper, his mind strolling down memory lane and going back to that particular day.

"I fell." Levi agreed with a soft voice of his own. "But when it happened, all I could think about was you. How I didn't want you to be hurt. How I wanted to protect you."

"And you did."

"Yeah, and you protected me too."

Levi smiled at that, and Eren couldn't help but return his smile, his heart beating so fast he didn't know what to do. He had no idea why his boyfriend was telling him all of this now, but he was happy to know how he had felt in that moment. He knew it was difficult for him to talk about his feelings, and was always grateful when it happened.

"When I woke up and saw how much you had been worried about me, I realized I didn't need to hide my feelings anymore. For the first time, I knew I could tell you and you wouldn't hate me for it. That you might actually feel the same. I had tried to convince myself otherwise after listening to you and Hanji, that I had probably understood it the wrong way only because it was what I wanted, but… I didn't want to have any more regrets. I told you that, and I still think it's true."

He put one hand on Eren's cheek, much like when they had first kissed, and the loving look he gave him melted the brunet's heart. How could he have ended up with such a caring man as his boyfriend? He was feeling like the luckiest man on earth.

"When it comes to you, I don't want to regret anything." Levi told him again.

Eren was trying very hard to hold back the tears that were threatening to fall out of his eyes. He was feeling completely overwhelmed, both by Levi's words and Levi's expressions, but all his efforts were completely blown away when he saw Levi put a hand inside his pocket and take a small black box out of it, which he carefully put inside his palm. His dark blue eyes were looking intensely at him again, but this time he could discern a hint of nervousness in them. The next thing he said was what broke the dam of his overbearing emotions:

"Eren, will you marry me?"

Levi didn't get down on one knee like you could see in movies, but Eren didn't care because it allowed him to see Levi's face from a smaller distance and with it all of the emotions passing on his face. Like how his features softened when he realized Eren was crying, right after he had opened the box to reveal one shiny silver ring with a small blue gemstone in the middle of it.

The way he softly brushed his tears away brought him back to his senses and made him realize he had stopped breathing for a moment, and also that it was his turn to talk now. However, everything he wanted to tell him in return was blocked inside his throat and he could only manage to let out a small whine when he opened his mouth.

Desperate to give him an answer, he gripped his lover's hand placed on his cheek and nodded furiously, trying to convey what he couldn't phrase. Levi seemed to completely relax at his reaction, his shoulder dropping down and losing their tenseness. He carefully took Eren's left hand and gently put the ring on his finger, looking happily at it before turning his attention again to his now fiancé.

The moment the ring was safely put on his finger, Eren threw himself into Levi's arms, making him loose his balance for a moment because of the surprise, before he could feel him embracing him back. The brunet's shoulders were now shaking because of the unstoppable flow which was falling out of his eyes, and Levi tenderly kissed his neck and drew circles on his back to soothe him.

He was feeling so overwhelmingly happy that he didn't know how to stop crying. He had never thought his lover would propose to him. It had never crossed his mind, even if he had dreamed of them spending their life together. It was the only possible outcome of their relationship for him, but now that Levi had made it official he wanted the same, he felt like he was soaring.

It took him a few minutes to calm down, but he managed to do it and took this opportunity to verbally convey his feelings.

"Yes… Yes. Of course I'll marry you! I love you so so much."

He moved back a little to be able to look at his fiancé in the eye, and smiled when he saw the look of pure bliss on his face and the way his eyes were shining with happy tears. Eren kissed him first on his forehead, then on his eyelids, his nose, his cheeks, before kissing him passionately on his lips. Levi eagerly kissed him back before pressing their forehead together, a hand gently stroking his long brown hair.

"I love you too, little lover."


	11. Extra

_Author's notes: This isn't a chapter, it's only random information about this AU that I wasn't able to put inside the story but still wanted to share.  
I hope you liked reading this story and I want to thank you for reading it until the end! :)_

* * *

Zeke is Eren's half-brother. His mother, Dina, died when he was eight. Grisha got custody of him, but he was already married with Carla and she was pregnant with Eren. She welcomed him with open arms and they got along well, although in the beginning Zeke was reluctant since he didn't want a new mom, but Carla never tried to replace Dina. Zeke calls her 'mother', 'mom' is when he talks about Dina. Grisha didn't know Dina had a kid.

Grisha is not very open with his feelings, only with Carla, but he loves both of his sons very much. He only wants them to have a steady life and be happy, because of that he comes off as strict. He has no idea how to handle Zeke, that's why it's always tensed between them, but he's secretly proud of him. Same with Eren. He bought all his books and asked Carla to have them signed. He keeps them hidden in their room.

Levi works in Zeke's company. They don't work in the same department so they hardly see each other, but their relationship is better than before, partly due to the fact Levi and Eren are dating. Though Zeke threatened Levi to never hurt Eren again or he would come to regret it.

Hanji is Levi's best man at their wedding, Zeke is Eren's. Hanji ended up crying a huge part of the ceremony, which made Eren cried too. Levi would not admit it, but it made him teary-eyed.

Now that Hanji got to keep their promise, they won't reincarnate anymore. It's their last life, and they know it. Therefore, they're planning on making the best out of it.

Hanji is actually Eren and Levi's godparent. That's another reason for Eren to call them 'Aunt Hanji'. With Carla and Kuchel they were inseparable in university, and Hanji was there for both of Eren and Levi's birth.

Levi is very polite with how he acts and talks, because that's what his mother taught him, but because of his uncle he also has bad habits, like swearing and other demeanor. He tries to not let his mother see and hear it, but once she's out of hearing shot, he stops being careful.

Kenny, Levi's uncle, has a lot of debts. Kuchel tries to help him repay them, which put her in many financial problems. It's what fueled Levi to study so much. He wanted to have good grades to have a good scholarship in order to have a good paying job to help them. It played a small part in why he pushed Eren away. He didn't want him to be involved with his problems and he was too much of a distraction for him because of the feelings Levi had for him.

Mikasa is Eren's and Armin's editor, she's a bit older than them. Eren and Armin participated in the school festival with a small extract of the first volume of 'Attack on Titan' they were working on outside of school. Mikasa saw it and reached them to make them a proposal. The next year, they participated in a competition with the full version, won and got it published with the help of Mikasa. The three of them go drink together at least once a month in order to catch up even when they're not working on a volume.

In Eren's book, Hanji's name is written right next to 'Original idea' and every volume is dedicated to them, since they would be no book without them. The first time they saw this, they cried for days.

Eren and Levi still wear the rings, but on their right hand. The left hand is for their future together while the wedding bands represent their past. Levi had promised Eren he would get him a proper ring one day, and kept his promise, but Eren had completely forgotten about it. He thought Levi had said that under the influence of alcohol and didn't think too much about it even if it had made him very happy when he had heard it.

Levi bought a second ring similar to Eren's engagement ring for himself, but on his, the gemstone is green, much like the wedding bands. They are planning on engraving their own wedding bands with their full name instead of initials.

Levi started calling Eren 'my little lover' after high school. The first time, it was to remind Eren he had been shorter than him at one point when the brunet was teasing him about not having grown up much in his last years as a teenager. (Levi barely made it to 160 cm while Eren grew up to 183 cm) He continued calling him like that from time to time, until they both realized it wasn't meant as a teasing nickname anymore but more so like a pet name. Eren really likes it when Levi calls him like that.


End file.
